C11: Polymers Flashcards
what are monomers
small molecules that join together to form a long chain
what is a polymer
a very long molecule made of repeating units
what is a repeating unit
the smallest part of a polymer that repeats itself throughout the chain
what is polymerisation
a reaction that turns multiple monomers into polymers
what are the two types of polymerisation
addition and condensation
what kind of monomers are involved in addition polymerisation
molecules with c=c bonds, such as alkenes
what kind of monomers are involved in condensation polymerisation
monomers with two functional groups
what other products are made in condensation polymerisation
water (normally)
what does n represent in an equation showing polymerisation
a very large number
what is a natural polymer
a polymer that is produced naturally by organisms
give four examples of natural polymers
polypeptides, starch, cellulose, DNA
what are amino acids
the building blocks for polypeptides and proteins, which have an amine and a carboxylic acid
what is a polypeptide
a polymer made from many amino acids
what is a protein
a polymer made from amino acids
which monomer makes up starch and cellulose
glucose
