Characteristic ratio

{
  "id": "MLC-T-CHM-001886",
  "term": "Characteristic ratio",
  "field": "Chemistry",
  "definition": "A dimensionless number measuring how stiff and extended a linear polymer chain is under unperturbed conditions. Written Cn, it equals the unperturbed mean square end-to-end distance divided by n l², the value for a freely jointed chain of n bonds each of length l. Larger values indicate a stiffer chain, while a freely jointed chain has Cn equal to 1.",
  "subject": "Polymer",
  "see_also": [
    "linear polymer"
  ],
  "references": [
    "Purple Book, 1st ed., p. 49 (http://old.iupac.org/publications/books/author/metanomski.html)"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/chemistry/characteristic-ratio/"
}