NUMERICAL PROBLEMS

Example 1. Calculate the number average molecular weight, if two poly-

mers, having mass equal to 100 to 10,000 are mixed.
100  10,000
Solution: Mn = = 5050.
2
Example 2. Calculate the number and weight average molecular weights of
a polymer sample containing 20% of polymer A and 80% of polymer B. The
molecular weights of A and B are 3000 and 30,000 respectively.
0.2  3000  0.8  30,000
Solution: Mw = = 24600.
0.2  0.8
For finding out Mn we have to calculate the number of molecules of A
and B.
Number of molecules of B
having molecular mass 30,000 80  3000 2
Number of molecules of A = =
20  30,000 5
having molecular mass 3000
Thus for every 5 macromolecules of mass 3000, there are 2 molecules
of mass 30,000. Hence,
5  3000  2  30,000
Mn = = 10714.
(5  2)
Example 3. Equal weights of polymer molecules with molecular weights
20,000 g/mol and 200,000 g/mol are mixed. Calculate M n and Mw .
Solution: Let the weight of one of the polymer = W1
Weight of the other polymer = W2
W1 = W2
Let it W1 = W2 = 400,000 g
Number of molecules of first monomer
n1 = 400,000 = 20
20,000
Number of molecules of second polymer
400,000
n2 = =2
200,000
n M  n2 M 2 20  20,000  2  200,000
Mn = 1 1 =
n1  n2 20  2
164 Text Book of Environmental Studies

n1M1  n2M2 20  (20,000) 2  2  (200,000)2

Mw = =
n1M1  n2M 2 20  20,000  2  200,000
20  4  108  2  4  1010
=
8  105
8  109  8  1010 8  109 (1  10)
= =
8 105 8  105
= 110,000 g/mol.
Example 4. If 1000 g of a polymer of molecular weight 1000 g/mole is mixed
with 1000 g of another polymer of molecular weight 10 6 g/mole, what is
the ratio of M w / M n .
Solution:
Polymer Weight Mol.wt. No. of moles in

1 1000 g 1000 g/mol 1 (n1)

2 1000 g 106 g/mol 10– 3(n2)

n1M1  n2 M 2 (1  1000)  (103  106 )

Mn = =
n1  n2 1  103
2000
=  2000
1.001
n M 2  n M2 1  (1000)2  10 3  (106 )2
1 1 22=
Mw =
n1M1  n2M 2 (1000  (106  10 3 ))
106  109 106(1  10)
= = = 5.5 × 10 5
1000  1000 2000
Mw 5.5  105 = 2.75 × 10 2
=
Mn 2000
Problem: A polydisperse sample of polystyrene is prepared by mixing three
monodisperse samples in the following proportions:
1 g 10,000 molecular weight, 2 g 50,000 molecular weight, 2 g 100,000
molecular weight. Using this information, determine the following:
(a) Number-average
(b) Weight-averag
EXERCISES
1. Define the terms: Monomer, Polymer, Degree of polymerization.