Polymerisation

Question 1

What are polymers?

Answer 1

Polymers are long chain molecules

Question 2

How can polymers be represented?

Answer 2

H H. H H H H
| | | | | |
C=C + “ditto” —> -C-C-C-C-
| | | | | |
H H H H H H

Question 3

What do the properties of monomers depend on?

Answer 3

• What it is made of, ie what monomer was used

* the conditions (e.g temperature and catalyst) under which it was made

Question 4

Monomers are small molecules with double bonds that can join together to make polymers.

What materials can be made with these methods?

Answer 4

Plastics/ man made polymers.

Question 5

What percentage of atom economy is polymerisation?

Answer 5

100%

Question 6

What do thermosoftening polymers consist of?

Answer 6

Individual polymer chains that are tangled together (like spaghetti)

Have weak intermolecular forces between all polymer chains and soften on heating

Question 7

What do amino acids join together through condensation polymerisation?

Answer 7

Polypeptides and water