The degree of polymerization is the number of monomer units that polymerized to form the polymer. If 50 ethylene monomers polymerize, the polymer chain has a degree of polymerization of 50.
For commercial examples of polyethylene, HDPE (high density polyethylene) may have a degree of polymerization between 700 and 1800. For UHMWPE (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene), the degree of polymerization may be 100,000 to 250,000.
The degree of polymerization is used in the Carothers Equation.
