Question

regarding dehydration synthesis and hydrolysis, which of the following statements is true?

• in hydrolysis, two monomers are joined together to form a polymer, and a water molecule is given off. in dehydration synthesis, a polymer separates into monomers, a water molecule splits, and part of the water molecule goes with each monomer.
• dehydration synthesis and hydrolysis are not related.
• in dehydration synthesis, two monomers are joined together to form a polymer, and a water molecule is given off. in hydrolysis, a polymer separates into monomers, a water molecule splits, and part of the water molecule goes with each monomer.

Explanation:

To determine the correct statement, we analyze dehydration synthesis and hydrolysis:

• Dehydration Synthesis: Monomers combine to form a polymer, and a water molecule is released (one monomer donates -OH, another donates -H, forming \( \ce{H2O} \)).
• Hydrolysis: A polymer breaks into monomers, and a water molecule is split (the polymer’s bond is broken by adding \( \ce{H2O} \), with -H and -OH attaching to the new monomers).

Now, evaluate the options:

1. First option: Confuses the processes (hydrolysis is not the reverse of dehydration synthesis here).
2. Second option: Incorrect—dehydration synthesis and hydrolysis are reverse processes (one builds polymers, the other breaks them).
3. Third option: Correctly describes both: Dehydration synthesis joins monomers (releasing \( \ce{H2O} \)), and hydrolysis splits polymers (using \( \ce{H2O} \), with parts of \( \ce{H2O} \) attaching to monomers).

Answer:

The third option (the one with the blue dot): "In dehydration synthesis, two monomers are joined together to form a polymer, and a water molecule is given off. In hydrolysis, a polymer separates into monomers, a water molecule splits, and part of the water molecule goes with each monomer."