[Campbell Biology P.117] How many molecules of water are needed to completely hydrolyze a po... | Practice Question

How many molecules of water are needed to completely hydrolyze a polymer that is ten monomers long?

  • A: 1
  • B: 9
  • C: 10
  • D: 11

Explanation

In a polymer of 'n' monomers, there are 'n-1' bonds connecting them. Hydrolysis requires one water molecule to break each of these bonds. Therefore, for a polymer of ten monomers, 10 - 1 = 9 molecules of water are needed.