For centuries, sailors used tree sap (pitch) to seal the spaces between the planks on wooden boats. Explain why pitch worked well as a sealant in this situation

Respuesta :

Tree sap is a viscoelastic polymer, which means it's not really a solid but a very viscous (sticky) fluid. It's fluidity ensures that it can properly seal the spaces between the planks on wooden boats. Not only that, the pitch sap is hydrophobic - it is water resistant as well. 

Tree sap or the pitch is the resin material excreted by the trees and are thick and dark. Pitch are good sealants as they are viscoelastic polymer.

What are viscoelastic polymers?

Viscoelastic polymer is a material that is elastic as well as viscous under stress and pressure conditions. They emit or gives the energy absorbed by them.

The tree sap or the pitch of the trees are non-polar substances that do not get dissolved in the water. They are viscoelastic polymer as they are sticky and thick material.

The sticky and adhering properties of them make them suitable as a sealant as they are hydrophobic and can seal the spaces and cracks on the wooden surfaces of the boats.

Therefore, the pitch is used because they are a viscoelastic polymer.

Learn more about viscoelastic polymer here:

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