What would happen to the alpha helix if the polypeptide chain was heated to a temperature above 60 degrees C

I THINK the chain will begin to unfold, but I am not 100% sure, and I do not know how to describe this in more detail.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!!

Thanks!

Alpha helices can unfold from anywhere between 5 C to 200 C. It depends a lot on the structure of the protein.

Generally, we could assume it would begin denaturing around 60 C. Basically, the hydrogen bonds between the "turns" of the helix begin to give way (much like melting DNA), causing it to lose its helix shape and begin "straightening out." This is due to the heat literally causing the atoms to vibrate at such a high frequency that the H-bonds can no longer hold.