Question

The material similar to silk in appearance is:
A. Nylon
B. Rayon
C. Polyester
D. Terylene

Answer 1

Hint: Synthetic fibres are man-made fibres. All the above mentioned are synthetic fibres, but they differ in their characteristics. So, from their characteristics we can identify the fibre having similar appearance to silk.

Complete step by step answer:
- First, let us know about the synthetic fibres. These are known to be man-made fibres, formed via chemical processes extracted from the raw materials.
- Secondly, if we discuss the nylon, it is a synthetic polymer further processed into fibres.
- Now talking about the rayon, it is synthesised from natural sources like wood. It resembles the natural fibres and also known as artificial silk.
- Polyester is a synthetic fibre obtained from coal and is used in plastic, and safety belts.
- Terylene is a type of synthetic polyester produced by polymerisation of ethylene glycol and terphthalic acid.

So, we can say that rayon is similar to silk. The correct option is B.

Additional information: Rayon is found to have various types such as viscose, modal and lyocell, vary in the manufacturing process, and the properties represented by the end product.

Note: Don’t get confused between synthetic fibres and synthetic polymers. These both represent the different properties and terms in the chemistry. Rayon is not considered to be a synthetic fibre because it is re-synthesised from natural sources, and it is converted into more useful form, mainly the cellulose fibre.