This deep dive covers What are Polymers? 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 2 of 15 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
🔬 What are Polymers?
Basic Definition
A polymer is a very large molecule made by joining many small molecules (monomers) together in a long chain. Think of it like a paper chain — each piece of paper is a monomer, and the whole chain is the polymer.
Common Polymers Around Us
- Poly(ethene) — plastic bags and bottles (from ethene, C₂H₄)
- Poly(propene) — food containers and carpets (from propene, C₃H₆)
- PVC (poly(chloroethene)) — pipes and window frames
- PTFE (poly(tetrafluoroethene)) — non-stick coating on pans
- Polystyrene — foam packaging
- Natural polymers: starch, cellulose, proteins, DNA
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.