Baulkham hills - 2009 Chemistry HSC trial examination question! Need help! (1 Viewer)

[ragingcurry]

Assess the impact of the recent development of a named biopolymer on society and the environment. (4 marks)

Can someone pls write a good response I have no clue what to write!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks

 

[Shuuya]

Here's my attempt:

A biopolymer that has been developed in recent years is poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), which is commercially known as Biopol. It has similar properties to the polymer polypropylene in terms of high tensile strength, and therefore can be used to produce many of the same products. Unlike polypropylene, an environmentally beneficial property of PHB is that it is biodegradable, and therefore will break down back into the environment within a matter of weeks, rather than thousands of years like in the case of polypropylene, which allows for a massive reduction in landfills. Polypropylene is sourced from finite crude oil reserves, which are becoming scarcer due to rising demands. On the other hand, PHB is sourced from the bacteria Alcaligenes Eutrophus, which means that the remaining fossil fuels can be expended on other needs. A useful property of PHB that benefits society is its biocompatibility, meaning that it can be used in surgical stitches without needing to be removed, as the stitches with degrade into the body without harm. This improves the quality of life of individuals, as there is no need to undergo multiple surgeries involving inserting and removing stitching. Ultimately, the recent development of PHB has had a very positive impact in terms of society and the environment.

 

[aoc]

Becuase it says assess would you need to talk about a negative such as its high cost of production?

 

[InteGrand]

Becuase it says assess would you need to talk about a negative such as its high cost of production?

Yeah, you should describe at least one negative, and then make an overall judgement at the end.

 

[strawberrye]

Assess the impact of the recent development of a named biopolymer on society and the environment. (4 marks)

Can someone pls write a good response I have no clue what to write!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks

If you have the marking criteria for that exam and look at the marking criteria, you will have a really good idea of what a good response should include.

 

[dan964]

If you have the marking criteria for that exam and look at the marking criteria, you will have a really good idea of what a good response should include.

https://9eeba4054ee764a743f35bb25b5...m Hills 2009 Chemistry Trials & Solutions.pdf

For 4 marks you need to
- Define and correctly name a biopolymer
- Describe its uses and its production
- Outline adv. & disadv. with reference to society & environment
- assess its potential for future use.

there is a sample answer for this question as well (the MG is on page 22 for this question)

 

[ragingcurry]

Thanks for the answer it helped a lot.

 

[ragingcurry]

Thank you everyone

very much appreciated

 

[ragingcurry]

Shuuya I have some questions related to your answer:
Why do you kind of compare it to polypropylene (at the start of your response)?
Is it necessary to do so?

 

[Shuuya]

Shuuya I have some questions related to your answer:
Why do you kind of compare it to polypropylene (at the start of your response)?
Is it necessary to do so?

I think it is, because that's pretty much why its beneficial for the environment--- because we don't need to use fossil fuels to produce polypropylene if we can use biopol instead

 

[leehuan]

I think it is, because that's pretty much why its beneficial for the environment--- because we don't need to use fossil fuels to produce polypropylene if we can use biopol instead

It is recommended you contrast to the most fundamental polymer of the course though - PE. PP has slightly fewer applications and is more constrained into how we produce it. Note that whilst it is obviously extremely economically inviable, especially compared to that of PHB, it's not impossible as dehydration of ethanol isn't exactly hard, so to speak.

But yes, @ OP the comparison is recommended as by identifying why this method is advantageous over traditional fossil-fuel derived polymers, we deduce what impacts it has made for society today

 

[Grinchey]

Here's my attempt:

A biopolymer that has been developed in recent years is poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), which is commercially known as Biopol. It has similar properties to the polymer polypropylene in terms of high tensile strength, and therefore can be used to produce many of the same products. Unlike polypropylene, an environmentally beneficial property of PHB is that it is biodegradable, and therefore will break down back into the environment within a matter of weeks, rather than thousands of years like in the case of polypropylene, which allows for a massive reduction in landfills. Polypropylene is sourced from finite crude oil reserves, which are becoming scarcer due to rising demands. On the other hand, PHB is sourced from the bacteria Alcaligenes Eutrophus, which means that the remaining fossil fuels can be expended on other needs. A useful property of PHB that benefits society is its biocompatibility, meaning that it can be used in surgical stitches without needing to be removed, as the stitches with degrade into the body without harm. This improves the quality of life of individuals, as there is no need to undergo multiple surgeries involving inserting and removing stitching. Ultimately, the recent development of PHB has had a very positive impact in terms of society and the environment.

It would be a good idea to take into account the costliness of the bacterial starvation process. Whilst PHB is practically viable and harbours properties that enable biodegradability and biocompatibility, its impact on society wouldn't be as substantial as your judgment makes it out, especially considering that you omitted the nature of cost for this biopolymer. To achieve full marks, both the negatives and positives (if both exist, which in this case they do) must be addressed to influence your final judgment in an "assess" question

 

[axwe7]

Assess the impact of the recent development of a named biopolymer on society and the environment. (4 marks)

Can someone pls write a good response I have no clue what to write!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks

Is it okay if you can send me a link to this paper?

 

[Shuuya]

Is it okay if you can send me a link to this paper?

https://9eeba4054ee764a743f35bb25b5...m Hills 2009 Chemistry Trials & Solutions.pdf