ethylene

Everyday

1. Ethylene is a colourless gas made of carbon and hydrogen; plants make it naturally, and it makes fruit ripen. tree →
2. Ethylene is an important chemical used in factories to make plastics such as polythene (polyethylene). tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons, ethylene explains why a banana put next to green fruit makes it ripen faster, and why one rotten apple spoils the bowl. In chemistry, it is the building block of polythene used for plastic bags and bottles. Scientists call it «ethene» in school chemistry.

Examples

• Ripe bananas give off ethylene gas. tree →
• Put an avocado in a bag with a banana to help it ripen. tree →
• Ethylene makes fruit go soft and sweet. tree →
• Plastic bags are made from ethylene. tree →
• One rotten apple gives off ethylene and spoils the others. tree →
• Fruit is shipped cold to slow down ethylene. tree →

Note

Uncountable. Pronounced «ETH-uh-leen». School chemistry name: ethene. Polythene / polyethylene is made by joining many ethylene molecules in a chain.