Polymers

• What are polymers made up of?

  Polymers are made up of smaller units called monomers.
• What is an example of a polymer mentioned in the material?

  Polypropylene is an example of a polymer mentioned.
• What is the formula for the monomer propine?


  The formula for propine is $C_3H_6$.
• How can you identify a polymer molecule?

  You can identify a polymer molecule by noticing a repeating monomer unit within it.
• What does the letter 'n' represent when drawing a polymer?

  The letter 'n' represents the number of repeating units in the overall polymer.
• What type of brackets are used to show repeating units in polymers?

  Curved brackets are used to show repeating units in polymers.
• What type of bonds are present within polymers?

  Polymers contain covalent bonds.
• What needs to be broken to melt or boil polymers?

  To melt or boil polymers, the intermolecular forces between separate polymer molecules need to be broken.
• How do the melting and boiling points of polymers compare to giant covalent structures?

  Polymers have lower melting and boiling points than giant covalent structures like diamond.
• How do the melting and boiling points of polymers compare to simple molecular substances?

  Polymers have higher melting and boiling points than simple molecular substances like oxygen or chlorine.
• What are the reasons why polymers are generally solid at room temperature?

  • Polymers have strong covalent bonds within their chains.
  • They have numerous weak intermolecular forces between molecules.
  • The high surface area of long polymer chains contributes to the energy required to break these forces.
• What are the two main types of polymers mentioned?

  • Addition polymers
  • Condensation polymers