This memory aid covers Memory Aid: ADD vs CONDENSE within Polymers for GCSE Chemistry. Revise Polymers in Organic Chemistry for GCSE Chemistry with 20 exam-style questions and 14 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 12 of 15 in this topic. Use it for quick recall, then test yourself straight afterwards so the memory aid becomes usable in an answer.
🧠 Memory Aid: ADD vs CONDENSE
The two types of polymerisation are easy to distinguish:
- Addition — alkene opens double bond, chains add together, nothing else produced. Think: ADD = ADD monomer, NOTHING leaves.
- Condensation — two functional groups react, chains join, a small molecule (water) condenses out. Think: CONDENSE = water drops condense out (like water droplets on a cold glass).
Drawing polymers — the four-step checklist:
- Start with the monomer
- Change C=C to C-C (double → single)
- Add continuation lines from each end carbon
- Add brackets with subscript n
Naming polymers: Put the monomer name in brackets with "poly" — ethene → poly(ethene), propene → poly(propene).
Practice questions for Polymers
What type of monomers are needed for addition polymerisation?
Explain how addition polymerisation works. Include the role of the double bond.