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Polymers
Explain that polymers are large molecules formed from many smaller units known as monomers.
13
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130
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91
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90 min
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CambridgeIGCSEChemistryOrganic chemistry
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Polymers outcomes13 objectives
- Explain that polymers are large molecules formed from many smaller units known as monomers.
- Illustrate how poly(ethene) is created through addition polymerisation using ethene as the monomer.
- Recognize that plastics are derived from polymers.
- Discuss how the characteristics of plastics affect their disposal methods.
- Outline the environmental issues associated with plastics, focusing on: (a) landfill disposal (b) ocean pollution (c) toxic gas emissions from incineration.
- Identify the repeating units and/or connections in addition and condensation polymers.
- Determine the structure or repeating unit of an addition polymer from a given alkene and vice versa.
- Determine the structure or repeating unit of a condensation polymer from specified monomers and vice versa, focusing on: (a) polyamides from a dicarboxylic acid and a diamine (b) polyesters from a dicarboxylic acid and a diol.
- Differentiate between addition and condensation polymerisation processes.
- Illustrate and describe the structures of: (a) nylon, a type of polyamide (b) PET, a type of polyester. The full name for PET is not necessary.
- Acknowledge that PET can be reverted to its monomers and re-polymerised.
- Characterize proteins as natural polyamides formed from amino acid monomers, which have a general structure: R O H C C N H O H H, where R signifies various side chains.
- Illustrate and describe the structure of proteins as: H O H O N C N C N C.
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