Answer to Question #10209 in Chemistry for Emily Connor

Question

What is the molecular weight of the acrylic polymer

Answer 1

The weight average molecular weight is a way of describing the molecular weight of a polymer. Polymer molecules, even if of the same type, come in different sizes (chain lengths, for linear polymers), so we have to take an average of some kind. For the weight average molecular weight, this is calculated by

M_w = Е_iN_iM_i^2 / Е_iN_iM_i

where N_i is the number of molecules of molecular weight M_i. To calculate the molecular weight, you need to know the number of acrylic molecules.