Arrange the following polymers in an increasing order of intermolecular forces , fibre, plastic , elastomer .

Options

A. Elastomer ` lt ` Fibre ` lt` Plastic
B. Elastomer `lt ` Plastic ` lt ` Fibre
C. Plastic ` lt` Elastomer ` lt` Fibre
D. Fibre ` lt` Elastomer `lt` Plastic

Answer

To arrange the polymers (fiber, plastic, and elastomer) in increasing order of intermolecular forces, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Types of Polymers
- **Elastomers**: These are polymers that have elastic properties. They can stretch and return to their original shape. The intermolecular forces present in elastomers are generally weak, primarily Van der Waals forces (or London dispersion forces).

### Step 2: Analyze the Intermolecular Forces in Each Polymer
- **Fibers**: These polymers have strong intermolecular forces, often due to hydrogen bonding. This makes them strong and durable.
- **Plastics**: Plastics have intermolecular forces that are intermediate between elastomers and fibers. They can have some degree of cross-linking and can exhibit various types of interactions.

### Step 3: Arrange the Polymers Based on Intermolecular Forces
- Since elastomers have the weakest intermolecular forces, they come first.
- Next, plastics have intermediate intermolecular forces.
- Finally, fibers have the strongest intermolecular forces.

### Final Arrangement
Thus, the increasing order of intermolecular forces is:
**Elastomer < Plastic < Fiber**