where do they come from?

You have to be way more specific.

What kinds of synthetic materials? Fibers, synthetic gems, glass, electronic parts, paints, glue, cosmetics, chemicals...

Synthetic is just anything made by man and not by biological or geological processes.

Plastic is a synthetic material.

glass isn't synthetic...
I know what the word means I just don't understand where it is derived from. It seems that everything would have to be made from something in the earth itself. Where does one get the materials to construct a synthetic object?

I'm just speaking on general terms. But if I really need to get specific: styrofoam, teflon, acrylic, polyester. That's all I can think of for now.

Metals exist in rock, or ores. The processing removes the metal. Things like cotton adn wool are produced by organic processes without human interferance. Things like styrofoam, teflon, acrylic, and polyester, to use your list, are produced by chemical processes not occuring in nature. It generally involves complete changes in the molecular structure. Any questions?

I think polyester is made of oil.

Originally posted by Datura
It seems that everything would have to be made from something in the earth itself. Where does one get the materials to construct a synthetic object?[/B]Synthetic, boiled down to basics means "man-made". All the materials that are used certainly come from the world around us, but the process that uses them in the case of sythetics don't normally occur naturally.

Peace.

Glass is synthetic datura. Like they said its anything that i man-made. Glass is made from sand. I assume that they take all of the litle clear peices of sand and put them together to make glass. it is definitely man-made though. (i read somewhere that glass is actually a liquid. It moves within itself very very slowly and so is still a liquid.) :confused: :bugeye:

In the case of polyester.....humans took ester....then put a bunch of them together (hence the word "poly"). This does not occur naturally so it is a synthetic material.
This is what polyester is:

"Long-chain polymers chemically composed of at least 85 percent by weight of an ester and a di-hydric alcohol and a terephthalic acid."
A polymer is just something that has a bunch of stuff hooked up. They put an acid, alcohol, and ester together to get the material of polyester.

Source: How polyester is made (http://www.swicofil.com/pes.html)

Synthetic materials orginally come from natural sources. They are manipulated in a way that does not occur in nature. Just as everybody has been saying.

If a material has its molecular structure reshaped by human intent it is synthetic.

wow...nobody called me stupid. Thanks for the explanations. :)

no problem *begin cough* stupid *end cough

jk

Sythetic Gems: Actuall gems. Have the exact same chemical compostion and look to them most of the time. Moissanite for example is sythetic diamond. It really is made of carbon and really is a diamond, however, it is made by man and not nature.

Simulant Gems: What can I say? Rhinestones sums it up. Also the common CZ or cubic zirconia is a simulant diamond. Though one would not find it in the earth, isn't plastic, its actually a man made gem. As the name suggests it has zircon in it.

Brought to you by the somewhat knowledgeable one in the jewelery business/ gems.

Later
T;)