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This lesson covers polymers — both addition and condensation types — as required by the Edexcel GCSE Chemistry specification (1CH0). You need to understand how polymers are formed, be able to draw sections of addition polymers from monomers (and vice versa), know about condensation polymerisation and natural polymers, and appreciate the environmental issues associated with polymer waste.
A polymer is a very large molecule (macromolecule) made by joining together many small molecules called monomers. The process of making a polymer is called polymerisation.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Monomer | A small molecule that can join with others to form a polymer |
| Polymer | A very large molecule made from many repeating monomer units |
| Polymerisation | The chemical reaction in which monomers join together to form a polymer |
Addition polymerisation occurs when many alkene monomers (each containing a C=C double bond) join together. The double bond in each monomer opens up, and the monomers link together to form a long chain with only single C–C bonds.
Key features of addition polymerisation:
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