Question

The world’s first fully synthetic plastic was:
(a) Polystyrene
(b) Nylon
(c)Bakelite
(d)Teflon

Answer 1

Hint: Plastic invention was a blessing and stroke of luck to humans. As before plastic all things were mainly dependent on molded soil, glass, paper etc. Carrying them was not convenient, plastic on the other hand was suitable, lightweight, and resistant to extreme weather conditions. The first invented plastic was Parkesine which is celluloid today.

Complete answer:
World’s first fully synthetic plastic was discovered by Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland when he added formaldehyde with phenol, he found a material that has resistance towards water and an unexceptional property of bounding the powders together.
He termed his invention as “Bakelite” which was the first thermosetting plastic, the properties of this plastic was so interesting that it found so many applications in a short time. The properties of the thermosetting plastic Bakelite was so interesting that it found so many application in our day to day lives
Bakelite due to high melting point was used as electric insulators, pipes etc. it can be shaped very quickly.
Bakelite is a polymerized structure of o-hydroxymethyl phenol formed by reaction of phenol and formaldehyde.

Option (c) is correct.

Note:
Though bakelite has many advantages on the other hand it has disadvantages too. It lacks flexibility, is not light weighted, not transparent so cannot be used to form a material we can see behind. Bakelite is a hazardous toxin for humans and other organisms that causes lung infection. Nowadays bakelite usage is lowered but still it is used in many industries.