C11 Polymers

Question 1

What is polymerisation?

Answer 1

The reaction in which small monomer units join together to form large molecules called polymers.

Question 2

What are the two types of polymerisation?

Answer 2

Addition and Condensation

Question 3

Addition polymerisation

Answer 3

• Process in which identical alkene monomers are added together to form a polymer via an addition reaction.
• The double bond in the alkene molecules open up so that they can join together to form a large polymer molecule.
• The reaction is carried out under pressure in the presence of a catalyst.

Question 4

What is a monomer?

Answer 4

• The small molecules that join together to form the large polymer chains
• They are alkenes, therefore they contain a double bond

Question 5

Give two uses of poly(ethene)

Answer 5

Plastics: drink bottles, carrier bags

Question 6

Condensation polymerisation

Answer 6

Monomers join together and remove a small molecule, such as water
- Esters are formed when a carboxylic acid reacts with an alcohol in the presence of a catalyst
- This is a condensation reaction because water is also produced

Question 7

What do you need to make an ester?

Answer 7

Carboxylic acid and alcohol

Question 8

Why is this process called a condensation reaction?

Answer 8

Forms a product of water

Question 9

Uses of polyester

Answer 9

• Clothes
• Plastic bottles
• Fibres

Question 10

Condensation polymerisation - functional groups

Answer 10

• To form a long chain, each monomer must have two functional groups, one at each end of the molecule
• Remove H from both alcohol functional groups
• Remove OH from both carboxylic acid functional group

Question 11

Diols

Answer 11

An alcohol containing 2 -OH functional groups

Question 12

Dicarboxylic acids

Answer 12

A carboxylic acid containing 2 -COOH groups

Question 13

Diols examples

Answer 13

Methane diol (HO-CH2-OH)
Ethane diol (HO-CH2-CH2-OH)
Propane diol (HO-CH2-CH2-CH2-OH)

Question 14

Dicarboxylic acids examples

Answer 14

Propane dioic acid (HOOC-CH2-COOH)
Butane dioic acid (HOOC-CH2-CH2-COOH)

Question 15

Addition polymerisation vs Condensation polymerisation

Answer 15

Number of monomer types:
- Addition has one monomer type, alkene
- Condensation has 2 monomer types each containing 2 same functional group, or it has one monomer type which contains 2 different functional groups

Number of products:
- Addition has one, the addition polymerisation
- Condensation has 2, the condensation polymer and small molecule usually water

Functional group involved:
- Addition has the double carbon bond
- Condensation has which ever 2 functional groups are present on monomer e.g. COOH, OH, NH2

Question 16

Proteins

Answer 16

Biological polymers made from amino acid monomers

Question 17

How are different proteins produced?

Answer 17

There are around 20 different amino acids that can be joined in any combination to produce different proteins

Question 18

In the body proteins can be…

Answer 18

• Enzymes
• Hormones
• Collagen

Question 19

Amino acids - functional groups

Answer 19

Contain two functional groups: amine group, carboxyl group

Question 20

Amino acids - formation of polymers

Answer 20

• Amino acids join together by condensation polymerisation to form polymers called polypeptides (proteins)
• The bond that joins two amino acids is called a peptide link
• When two amino acids join the product is called a dipeptide

Question 21

Starch

Answer 21

• Glucose monomers join together to form starch polymers
• Starch is an example of a poly saccharide
• Living things use starch to store energy as a complex carbohydrate

Question 22

Cellulose

Answer 22

• Glucose monomers join together to form cellulose polymers
• Cellulose is made by plants
• It is found in plant cell walls, and provides the plant cells (& plant) with structural support and protection