https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.C01308
The maximum end-to-end distance of a
linear polymer
chain. For a
single-strand polymer
molecule, this usually means the end-to-end distance of the chain extended to the all-
trans
conformation
. For chains with complex structure, only an approximate value of the contour length may be accessible. The sum of the lengths of all skeletal bonds of a
single-strand polymer
molecule is occasionally termed 'contour length'. This use of this term is discouraged.
Source:
Purple Book, 1st ed., p. 50 [Terms] [Book]