Polymers

• Why are polymers solids at room temperature?

  Intermolecular forces between polymer molecules
• What are the small identical molecules that form polymers called?

  Monomers
• What type of molecules are often monomers?

  Alken molecules
• How is a polymer formed from monomers?

  • Joining thousands of monomer molecules
  • Example: Ethene joining to form polyethene
• What type of bond is present between carbon atoms in an alkene monomer?

  Double covalent bond
• What type of bond is present between carbon atoms in a polymer?

  Single covalent bond
• How are covalent bonds in polymers described?

  Extremely strong
• What is the shorthand representation of a polymer called?

  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. Bonds extend out of brackets
  3. Lowercase n represents a large number
• What does the lowercase 'n' in the repeating unit represent?

  A large number of repeating units
• What type of forces act between polymer molecules?

  Intermolecular forces of attraction
• Why do polymers have a high melting point?

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

  Solids
• What is the relationship between intermolecular forces and the state of polymers at room temperature?

  • Strong intermolecular forces keep polymers solid
  • High energy required to break these forces