Polyethylene is a common type of plastic. A student researches polyethylene and discovers that it is not found in nature. What can the student conclude about how polyethylene is made?

Question

Polyethylene is a common type of plastic. A student researches polyethylene and discovers that it is not found in nature. What can the student conclude about how polyethylene is made?
 A. 
Humans carry out chemical reactions that convert natural resources to polyethylene.
 B. 
Polyethylene is made from different elements than natural substances are made of.
 C. 
Natural resources are converted to polyethylene only when natural hazards occur.
 D. 
Humans must mine deep into the earth to reach areas where polyethylene can be found.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The correct conclusion the student can draw about how polyethylene is made is:

A. Humans carry out chemical reactions that convert natural resources to polyethylene.

This option accurately reflects the fact that polyethylene is a synthetic polymer made from petrochemical resources (such as crude oil or natural gas) through industrial processes developed by humans. The other options either misrepresent the nature of polyethylene or suggest misconceptions about its origins.