Polymers Flashcards
What are polymers?
Very long molecules made up of lots of small molecules (monomers) joined together
What is the process of turning many monomers into polymers called?
Polymerisation
What is addition polymerisation?
With double carbon bonds, such as alkenes to produce just the polymer
What is condensation polymerisation?
Diols, dicarboxylic acids or diamines to produce the polymer and water
How does addition polymerisation take place?
The carbon double bond is broken and the carbon molecules link together
What is the inside of the bracket known as?
Repeating unit
How are addition polymers named?
Poly(alkene)
How else can condensation reactions happen?
One monomer molecule as long as it has two different functional groups
What are amino acids?
Amine functional group - nitrogen bonded to a carbon and two hydrogens
Carboxylic acid functional group
What is the simplest amino acid?
Glycine
What are polypeptides?
When molecules of glycine react together they form a polypeptide
There are many different types of amino acid which react to form different polypeptides
When lots of polypeptides come together they form a protein
What is DNA?
Made from two long polymers wound in a double helix
Four different monomers called nucleotides
A nucleotide is made from a phosphate, deoxyribose sugar and a base
What are starch and cellulose?
Natural polymers
Made from glucose molecules joined together
Depends on how the glucose forms chains with each other
What does condensation polymerisation involve?
Two different monomers which each have two functional groups
What molecules are involved in condensation polymerisation?
Diol with two OH functional groups
Dicarboxylic acid with two COOH functional groups
