Polymers

Question 1

What is a polymer?

Answer 1

A substance of high average relative
molecular mass made up of small
repeating units.

Question 2

How are polymers made?

Answer 2

By linking together lots of small
molecules (monomers) to form a long
chain.

Question 3

What is the name of the process in which ethene

molecules join together to form a polymer?

Answer 3

Addition polymerisation

Question 4

How can ethene molecules undergo polymerisation

to form the polymer poly(ethene)?

Answer 4

One of bonds in each C=C double bond
breaks and forms a bond with an adjacent
monomer, forming a long chain polymer.
This requires many ethene monomers.

Question 5

What is the displayed formula of the product formed

from the addition polymerisation of ethene?

Answer 5

https://www.physicsandmathstutor.com/pdf-pages/?pdf=https%3A%2F%2Fpmt.physicsandmathstutor.com%2Fdownload%2FChemistry%2FGCSE%2FNotes%2FEdexcel%2F9-Separate-Chemistry-2%2FFlashcards%2520-%2520Topic%25209%2520Separate%2520Chemistry%25202%2520-%2520Edexcel%2520Chemistry%2520GCSE.pdf

Page 112

Question 6

What is the name of the product formed from the

addition polymerisation of ethene?

Answer 6

Poly(ethene)

Question 7

Can chloroethene undergo addition polymerisation?

If so, what is the product?

Answer 7

Yes because it contains a C=C double
bond

The product is poly(chloroethene) or
PVC.

Question 8

Name the polymer below and draw the structure of
the monomer:

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Page 119

Answer 8

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Page 119

Poly(tetrafluoroethene) or PTFE

Question 9

What properties of poly(propene) makes it suitable

for making buckets and crates?

Answer 9

• Flexible

- Strong

Question 10

Poly(ethene) is commonly used to make plastic

bags, bottles and coating of electrical wires. Why?

Answer 10

• Inexpensive
• Electrical insulator
• Flexible

Question 11

What is a common use of poly(chloroethane), PVC,

and what properties make it suitable for this use?

Answer 11

Use for window frame because it is

tough, cheap and a long product life.

Question 12

What is a common use of poly(tetrafluoroethene),
PTFE, and what properties make it suitable for this
use?

Answer 12

Coating for non-stick pans because it is tough and non-stick

Question 13

By what process are polyesters formed?

Answer 13

Condensation polymerisation

Question 14

Why are polyesters condensation polymers?

Answer 14

Because a small molecule (water) is
released when the bond is formed
between two monomers.

Question 15

What reactants are required to form an polyester?

Answer 15

Molecules with two carboxylic acid groups (-COOH) and molecules with two alcohol groups (-OH).

Question 16

Describe the formation of a ester bond

Answer 16

The carboxylic acid loses an OH from the COOH group. The alcohol loses a H from the -OH group. The two larger molecules combine, forming an ester bond. The OH- and H+ molecules lost during the bond formation combine to make water.

Question 17

What are some of problems associated with polymers?

Answer 17

• Crude oil (starting material) is a finite resource.
• Not biodegradable so take up space in landfill and end up in the oceans, causing problems for marine life.
• Produce carbon dioxide if incinerated (and HCl is the polymer contain chlorine).
• Production process requires a lot of energy.
• Recycling requires careful sorting which is time-consuming.

Question 18

What are the advantages associated with recycling

polymers?

Answer 18

• Provides employment.
• Less crude oil used.
• Less energy used in recycling than in processing new
  materials.
• Reduces the amount of space needed for landfill and
  fewer polymers end up in the ocean.

Question 19

What are the disadvantages associated with

recycling polymers?

Answer 19

• Labour intensive and expensive to first separate the polymer into different recycling categories.
• Melting polymers produces toxic gases which are harmful for animals and plants.
• Polymers can only be recycled a certain number of times before losing their properties and becoming unusable.

Question 20

What is starch?

Answer 20

A polymer based on sugars.

Question 21

In terms of polymers, what is DNA?

Answer 21

A polymer made from four different

monomers called nucleotides.

Question 22

What are proteins?

Answer 22

Polymers based on amino acids