C11 Polymers Flashcards
what is a polymer?
a substance made from very large molecules made up of many repeating units
what are monomers?
small reactive molecules that react together in repeating sequences to form a very large molecule
what is addition polymerisation?
the reaction between alkene monomers to form a polymer
how many monomers are used in addition polymerisation?
1
it is the same monomer repeating over and over again
how does the repeating unit in addition polymers have the same atoms as the monomers?
when the C=C bond opens up during polymerisation, no other molecule is formed in the reaction
how do write the repeating unit of a polymers?
eg. the repeating unit of poly(ethene)
what is made in condensation polymerisation?
condensation polymer + small molecule
how is a polyester formed?
condensation polymerisation of a diol (alcohol with an -OH group at each end) and a dicarboxylic acid (a carboxylic acid with a -COOH at each end)
what are carbohydrates?
molecules that contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
what is a monosaccaride?
simple carbohydrates made up of one sugar unit
what can monosaccharides polymerise to form?
make polymers called polysaccharides
what can glucose monomers form?
starch/cellulose polymers + water
what are the monomers that make up a protein?
amino acids
what are the functional groups that amino acids have?
one basic (the amine group -NH2)
one acidic (the carboxylic acid group -COOH)
what do amino acids react together during condensation polymerisation to form?
polypeptides and proteins
what molecules make up DNA?
monomers called nucelotides
what makes up a nucleotide?
a phosphate group bonded to the sugar deoxyribose
the sugar is then bonded to one of 4 possible bases
what is the structure of a DNA strand?
two polymer strands intertwined into a double helix
