bonding in polymers

• Why are polymers solids at room temperature?

  Strong intermolecular forces between polymer molecules
• What are the small identical molecules that make up polymers called?

  Monomers
• What type of molecules are often monomers?

  Alkenes
• How is a polymer formed from monomers?

  By joining thousands of monomer molecules
• What happens to the bonds between carbon atoms when forming a polymer?

  Double bonds become single covalent bonds
• What is the polymer formed from ethene called?

  Polyethene
• What are the key points about the repeating unit in polymers?

  • Shows a single covalent bond between carbon atoms
  • Bonds extend out of brackets
  • Lowercase n indicates a large number of repeating units
• What do intermolecular forces of attraction refer to?

  Forces acting between polymer molecules
• Why do polymers have a high melting point?

  Breaking intermolecular forces requires a lot of energy
• What does the term "intermolecular" mean?

  Acting between molecules
• What is the significance of the lowercase n in the repeating unit?

  It represents a large number of repeating units
• What must be broken to melt a polymer?

  Intermolecular forces of attraction
• How do the intermolecular forces in polymers compare to those in other substances?

  They are relatively strong in polymers