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GCSE Chemistry > C11 - Polymers > Flashcards

C11 - Polymers Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a polymer?

A

A long chain of repeating units/molecules.

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2
Q

What is a monomer?

A

A molecule that can be bonded to other identical molecules to form a polymer.

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3
Q

What 2 methods are there for making polymers?

A

1) Addition Polymerisation - monomers of the same molecule.

2) Condensation Polymerisation - monomers of different molecules.

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4
Q

What type of molecule is most commonly used as monomers in addition polymerisation?

A

Alkenes (C=C functional group) undergo addition polymerisation.

E.g Ethene Monomers —> Poly(ethene)
Propene Monomers —> Poly(propene)

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5
Q

How do ethene monomers become a polymer by addition polymerisation? How do you write polymers?

A

The C=C bond will ‘open up’ (break), allowing the ethene molecules to join together.

This long repeating chain is called poly(ethene) OR polythene.

Writing polymers:

  • If the monomer is (x).
  • -The polymer will be poly(x)

E.g Ethene —> Poly(ethene).

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6
Q

What is the type of bond that makes up polymers called?

A

Covalent Bonds

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7
Q

What other products are formed when addition polymerisation takes place? Why?

A

None.

-Because no other monomers are joining on - nothing else is produced.

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8
Q

How do you write a simplified chemical structure for a really long polymer?

A

You just draw one monomer of the polymer (the unit that repeats) and draw brackets around the molecule, with an ‘n’ outside showing the number of repeating units.

E.g Ethene —> Poly(ethene):

           H     H
           |      |
[—(— C — C —)— ] *n
           |      |
           H     H

*n - the number of repeating units.

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9
Q

What type of materials are made up of polymers?

A

Plastics, packaging, super glue, perspex etc…

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10
Q

What is the everyday name of poly(ethene)? What are its uses?

A

Polythene

Uses: Bags, bottles

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11
Q

What is the everyday name of poly(propene)? What are its uses?

A

Polypropylene

Uses: Crates, Ropes

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12
Q

What is the everyday name for poly(phenylethene)? What is its main use?

A

Polystyrene (phenylethene is also called styrene)

Uses: Packaging Foam

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13
Q

What monomers does Condensation Polymerisation involve?

A

2 DIFFERENT monomers - each with its own functional group present at both ends of the molecule.

E.g Monomer 1 has OH at both ends. Monomer 2 has COOH at both ends.

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14
Q

What feature of a monomer undergoing condensation polymerisation must be present? How is a condenation polymer formed?

A

The functional group of each monomer, must be present at BOTH ENDS of each monomer (a ‘di’ molecule).

This is because:
-The different monomers can only combine by releasing a small molecule to form a stable polymer.

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15
Q

What extra product is released from Condensation Polymerisation?

A

A small molecule

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16
Q

What is usually the small molecule released?

A

Water

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17
Q

Why is a small molecule released?

A

A small molecule is released so that the monomers can join to form a stable chain.

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18
Q

What is a polyester?

A

A condensation polymer containing the Ester functional group (COO).

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19
Q

How is a polyester formed?

A

By reacting a dicarboxylic acid with a diol.

*Think: Ester = Alcohol + Carboxylic Acid
Polyester = Diol + Dicarboxylic Acid

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20
Q

What is a dicarboxylic acid?

A

A carboxylic acid with the presence of 2 functional groups (one at either end) - COOH.

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21
Q

What is a diol?

A

An alcohol with the presence of 2 functional groups (one at either end) - OH.

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22
Q

What product is released when a diol and a dicarbocxylic acid react together to form a polyester?

A

Water - as a small molecule

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23
Q

Show how to determine the structure of a polyester and the repeating unit. Show how water is released as a small molecule.

A 
🟢 = Diol - E.g Ethanediol (C2H6O2) 
🔵 = Dicarboxylic Acid - E.g Hexanedioc Acid (C6H10O4)

HO — 🟢 — OH - Diol
HOOC — 🔵 — COOH - Dicarboxylic Acid

'HO — 🟢 — *OH + *HOOC — 🔵 — COOH'
                              |
                              V
*H + HO = H2O
'H + OH = H2O

Polyester formed is:
[O — 🟢 — CO — OOC — 🔵 — COO ] n - This is the Repeating Unit.

2nH2O is the water released.

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24
Q

What is a polyamide?

A

A condensation polymer with repeating units linked by amide bonds.

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25
Q

How is a polyamide formed?

A

By reacting a dicarboxylic acid with a diamine.

26
Q

What other product is produced when a dicarboxylic acid and a diamine react to produce a polyamide?

A

Water - released as small molecule

27
Q

What useful material is synthetically produced by condensation polymerisation and is an alternative to silk?

A

Nylon

28
Q

What type of polymer is nylon?

A

A polyamide.

29
Q

How is nylon formed?

A

By reacting hexanedioic/adipic acid (a dicarboxylic acid) and hexanethylene diamine (a diamine).

*You can gently draw a thread of nylon around a beaker using a pair of tweezers.

30
Q

Are synthetic polymers the only type of polymers?

A

No

There are naturally occuring polymers everywhere.

31
Q

What type of molecule is Glucose, C6H12O6? What type of carbohydrate is Glucose?

A

Glucose is a monosaccharide (a single unit of sugar).

Glucose is a simple carbohydrate.

32
Q

What type of molecule is Fructose? What type of carbohydrate is Fructose?

A

Fructose is also a monosaccharide. It is found in fruits.

Fructose is also a simple carbohydrate.

33
Q

How is a Glucose monosaccharide arranged? How is a Fructose monosaccharide arranged?

A 
Glucose = 6-sided ring
Fructose = 5-sided ring
34
Q

What common sugar is made by bonding Glucose and Fructose together?

A

Glucose + Fructose = Sucrose (‘common sugar’)

35
Q

What is a monosaccharide?

A

A single unit of sugar (one monomer).

36
Q

What type of molecule is sucrose? What does this type of molecule contain?

A

Sucrose is a disaccharide.

A disaccharide molecule contains two monosaccharides bonded together.

37
Q

What do monosaccharide monomers make when they undergo condensation polymerisation?

A

Polysaccharides

38
Q

What are some examples of polysaccharides?

A

Starch, Cellulose, Glycogen etc…

39
Q

How many monosaccharide glucose monomers make up the polysaccharide starch?

A

1500 glucose monomers

1500 Glucose monomers —> starch polymers + water (CONDENSATION POLYMERISATION)

40
Q

How many monosaccharide glucose monomers make up the polysaccharide cellulose?

A

10,000 glucose monomers

10,000 Glucose monomers —> cellulose polymers + water (CONDENSATION POLYMERISATION)

41
Q

How are the monomers in starch chained together?

A

Branched chains

42
Q

How are the monomers in cellulose chained together?

A

Straight chains

43
Q

Why does cellulose have stronger intermolecular forces between the monomers?

A

Because of the straighter chains in cellulose, which line up neatly.

44
Q

What makes up protein polymers?

A

Amino acid monomers.

45
Q

What 2 functional groups do amino acid monomers have?

A

1) Basic Functional Group - NH2 - amine group

2) Acidic Functional Group - COOH - carboxylic acid group

46
Q

What are the 2 simplest amino acids called?

A

1) Glycine

2) Alanine

47
Q

What do amino acids form in condensation polymerisation?

A

Polypeptides and water.

48
Q

What do the longer, more complex polypeptides become?

A

Protein chains.

49
Q

Summary: What 3 naturally occuring polymers make up all living things?

A

1) Starch - polysaccharide
2) Cellulose - polysaccharide
3) Protein - polypeptides —> proteins

50
Q

What is DNA? What does each part of the full name mean?

A

Deoxyribonucleic acid is a polynucleotide.

Deoxyribose = a sugar derived from ribose
Nucleic Acid = polymers composed of nucleotides

51
Q

What monomers are the long chains of DNA made from in condensation polymerisation?

A

Nucleotide monomers —> DNA (polynucleotide) + water

52
Q

What 2 factors do the properties of a polymer depend on?

A

1) The monomers used to make it.

2) The reaction conditions used to make it.

53
Q

What 2 different types of poly(ethene) are good examples of polymers made under different reaction conditions?

A

1) Low Density (LD) Poly(ethene)

2) High Density (HD) Poly(ethene)

54
Q

What reaction conditions is (LD) Poly(ethene) made under?

A

High pressures and a trace of oxygen.

55
Q

How are the molecules of (LD) poly(ethene) arranged?

A

Randomly branched and not packed tightly.

56
Q

What reaction conditions is (HD) poly(ethene) made under?

A

Using a catalyst at 50°C and a slightly raised pressure.

57
Q

How are the molecules of (HD) poly(ethene) arranged?

A

Arranged in straight chains tightly packed together.

58
Q

What are thermosoftening polymers? What are their properties?

A

Polymers that soften easily when heated and are arranged in a tangled web of chains.

EASY TO SEPARATE. WEAK COVALENT BONDS.

59
Q

What are thermosetting polymers? What are their properties?

A

Polymers that do not melt when heated as they have strong covalent bonds which form ‘cross links’ between the polymer chains.

HEAT RESISTANT. STRONG COVALENT BONDS.

60
Q

What do ‘cross links’ do for a thermosetting polymer?

A

Makes it rigid and difficult to melt.

Very heat resistant (only chars).

61
Q

What type of polymer are electrical sockets made out of? Why?

A

Thermosetting polymers.

If the plug or wires get hot, the plastics will not soften.

GCSE Chemistry (17 decks)

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