This mechanism obeys a geometric distribution that flattens until conversion plateaus around 90 percent. In a result that anticipated percolation theory, this mechanism’s products change when alpha is above the reciprocal of “functionality minus one.” A reaction obeying this mechanism is driven is by ethylene release in acyclic diene (“DY-een”) metathesis. This mechanism ideally consumes all starting materials in the first interval and increases average mass exponentially over time. The progress of reactions with this mechanism was related to number-average size by Wallace Carothers (“kuh-RUH-thers”). Reactions with this mechanism are never “living,” as they will terminate without aid. This mechanism incorporates heteroatoms (“hetero-atoms”) into molecular backbones and creates polyesters. For 10 points, name this mechanism in which oligomers (“oh-LIG-oh-mers”) condense to form polymers, in contrast to a “chain” method. ■END■
ANSWER: step-growth polymerization [or step polymerization; accept condensation polymerization until “condense” is read; prompt on polymerization until “polymers” is read; prompt on esterification until “polyesters” is read]
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= Average correct buzz position