Complete question: Luisa likes to drink water from a plastic bottle. She knows the bottles were formed from synthetic polymers that were created in a chemical reaction. She also knows that synthetic materials can cause problems. Which statement explains the kind of problem that can develop from using synthetic materials such as plastics?
a) plastics have changed the way people use materials
b) plastics have made the lives of people easier
c) plastics have contributed to more pollution
d) plastics have made more work for people
Answer: The correct statement is plastics have contributed to more pollution. Option C.
Explanation:
Synthetic polymers are commonly called plastics. These are referred to as synthetic materials which can be softened by heat or pressure and then moulded into any desirable shape like the the plastic bottle Luisa drank from.
The raw materials for the manufacture of plastics are readily and cheaply available for the refinement of crude oil through series of chemical reactions. They are made by polymerization of monomers which are derived from petrochemicals.
Although they are used in producing materials used daily, it has contributed to more pollution over the years. POLLUTION is the release of chemicals or substances through man's activities, into the environment which causes harm to both man and the environment.
Plastics have contributed to more pollution because most plastics are non- biodegradable and cannot be broken down by microbial action into simple inorganic forms. Therefore, they cause severe land pollution problems since they are not easily disposable. Also is poses a major problem to the world supply of crude oil as it's limited. This is as a result of heavy dependence on crude oil which provides petrochemicals that is the bulk of the raw materials needed for making plastics.
