Cotton fibers are essentially pure cellulose, a glassy, crystalline polymer formed from sugar molecules. One reason for spraying water on a cotton shirt just before you iron that shirt is that the water
A. reflects some of the thermal radiation from the iron so that the cotton doesn't overheat and cross-link ("vulcanize") during ironing.
B. absorbs microwaves from the iron so that the fabric becomes hotter and flattens more completely during ironing.
C. removes electrons from the cellulose so that it becomes magnetic and is attracted to the steel bottom of the iron during ironing. This attraction improves the flattening effects of ironing.
D. acts as a plasticizer, lubricating the polymer molecules so that they can rearrange easily during ironing.
Answer:D
Cotton fibers are essentially pure cellulose, a glassy, crystalline polymer formed from sugar molecules. One reason for spraying water on a cotton shirt just before you iron that shirt is that the water
A. reflects some of the thermal radiation from the iron so that the cotton doesn't overheat and cross-link ("vulcanize") during ironing. B. absorbs microwaves from the iron so that the fabric becomes hotter and flattens more completely during ironing. C. removes electrons from the cellulose so that it becomes magnetic and is attracted to the steel bottom of the iron during ironing. This attraction improves the flattening effects of ironing. D. acts as a plasticizer, lubricating the polymer molecules so that they can rearrange easily during ironing.