polymers Flashcards
What are polymers?
Polymers are covalent moelcular substances. They are made of smaller molecules called monomers.
Are polymers natural or synthetic?
Both. Polymers can be naturally ocurring or made synthetically
What do you call synthetic polymers? What are they made from?
Plastics.
They are made from petroleum
What are the three types of natural polymers?
Cabohydrates, Nucleic acids and Proteins
How do polymers form?
Polymers form when monomers link together and form covalent bonds. This process is called polymerisation
What are the two different types of polymers?
Describe what they are
Addition and condensation polymers
Condensation polymers form when a carboxyl group and a hydroxyl or amino group link together through a condensation reaction.
Addition polymers form when monomers containing an alkene group link up through an addition reaction.
What is a condesation reaction?
A condensation reaction is when two molecules combine to form a single molecule. It often occurcs by the elimination of a small molecule, often water.
What was a carboxylate head again?
The ‘head’ which contains the C=O and -OH bond.
In essence, the carboxylic acid’s functional group but just this part of the acid.
What are the requirements for a monomer for it to react with itself and form a polymer?
It must contain both a carboxyl group and a hydroxyl / amino group.
Only then, can it react with itself, forming constituents that make up a polymer
