Contour length

{
  "id": "MLC-T-CHM-002510",
  "term": "Contour length",
  "field": "Chemistry",
  "definition": "The length of a linear chain stretched to its limit, measured between its two ends; for a single-strand polymer this is the all-trans zigzag form. Because bond angles stay fixed, it is shorter than the plain sum of all skeletal bond lengths. A polyethylene chain advances about 0.127 nm along its axis for each CH2 unit in this form.",
  "subject": "Polymer",
  "see_also": [
    "conformation",
    "linear polymer",
    "single-strand polymer",
    "cis, trans"
  ],
  "references": [
    "Purple Book, 1st ed., p. 50 (http://old.iupac.org/publications/books/author/metanomski.html)"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/chemistry/contour-length/"
}