(a) What is the empirical formula of cellulose? (b) What is the monomer that forms the basis of the cellulose polymer? (c) What bond connects the monomer units in cellulose: amide, acid, ether, ester, or alcohol?

Short Answer

Expert verified
(a) The empirical formula of cellulose is \(C_6H_{10}O_5\) for each repeating unit. (b) The monomer that forms the basis of the cellulose polymer is β-D-glucose. (c) The bond connecting the monomer units in cellulose is an ether bond, specifically a β(1→4)-glycosidic bond.

Step by step solution

01

(a) Empirical formula of cellulose

Cellulose is a polysaccharide that consists of a long chain of β-D-glucose monomer units. The empirical formula for glucose is C6H12O6. However, in cellulose, the monomer units are connected through glycosidic linkages, causing the loss of a water molecule (H2O) for each linkage formed between two glucose units. Thus, the empirical formula of cellulose becomes C6H10O5 for each repeating unit.
02

(b) Monomer of cellulose

Since cellulose is formed from glucose monomer units, the monomer that forms the basis of the cellulose polymer is β-D-glucose.
03

(c) Bond connecting the monomer units in cellulose

The bond that connects the monomer units in cellulose is an ether bond. This is also called a glycosidic bond when referring to carbohydrates. In cellulose, the glucose monomers are connected by a β(1→4)-glycosidic bond specifically. This bond is formed between the hydroxyl groups on the 1st and 4th carbons of adjacent glucose molecules, resulting in an oxygen bridge that acts as the ether bond.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free