Bonding in polymers

• What should you be able to describe by the end of the video?

  The structure and bonding in polymers
• Why are polymers considered solids at room temperature?

  Because of the strong intermolecular forces between polymer molecules
• What are some common uses of polymers?

  • Disposable razors
  • Plastic cups
  • Plastic drinks bottles
• What are the small identical molecules that make up polymers called?

  Monomers
• What type of molecules are often used as monomers in polymers?

  Alkenes
• What is a good example of an alkene mentioned in the video?

  Ethyne
• How is a polymer formed from monomers?

  • By joining together thousands of small identical molecules (monomers)
  • Example: Ethyne molecules join to form polyethene
• What type of bond exists between carbon atoms in the alkene monomer?

  A double covalent bond
• What type of bond exists between carbon atoms in the polymer?

  Single covalent bonds
• How are covalent bonds in polymers characterized?

  They are extremely strong
• What is the shorthand representation of a polymer called?

  The repeating unit
• What are the three important details about the repeating unit of a polymer?

  1. Shows a single covalent bond between carbon atoms
  2. The bonds on either side extend out of the brackets
  3. The lowercase n represents a large number of repeating units
• What do the intermolecular forces of attraction between polymer molecules indicate?

  They are relatively strong
• What must happen to melt a polymer?

  The intermolecular forces must be broken
• Why do polymers have a high melting point?

  Because breaking intermolecular forces takes a lot of energy
• What is the general state of most polymers at room temperature?

  Solids
• What is the significance of the intermolecular forces in polymers?

  • They are relatively strong
  • They determine the melting point
  • They explain why polymers are solids at room temperature