addition polymers

• plastics are made up of long chain molecules called polymers
• polymers are formed when lots of small molecules called monomers join together in the reaction polymerisation
• addition polymers are made from unsaturated monomers
• additional polymerisation is when alkenes can open up their double bonds and join together to form polymer chains
• polymerisation needs high pressure and a catalyst
• how do you draw an additional polymer from its monomer formula?

  -draw 2 carbon atoms in the centre with a single bond joining them

  -fill in the rest of the groups in the same way that they surrounded the double bond in the monomer

  -add a pair of brackets and put an n

  -add a name by putting poly in front of the monomers name in brackets
• to get the displayed formula of the polymer to the displaced formula of the monomer you do the reverse
• in addition polymerisation only one product is formed