What is a polymer?
Q: What is a polymer?
A: A polymer is a molecule made from joining together many small molecules called monomers.
Q: What does the word "polymer" mean?
A: The word "polymer" can be broken down into "poly" (meaning "many" in Greek) and "mer" (meaning "unit"), which shows how the chemical composition of a polymer consists of many smaller units (monomers) bonded together into a larger molecule.
Q: How are polymers formed?
A: Polymers are formed through a chemical reaction called polymerization, which bonds monomers together to make a polymer.
Q: Are there natural polymers?
A: Yes, some polymers are natural and made by organisms. Proteins have polypeptide molecules, which are natural polymers made from various amino acid monomer units. Nucleic acids are huge natural polymers made up of millions of nucleotide units. Cellulose and starch (two types of carbohydrate) are also natural polymers made up of glucopyranose monomer bonded together in different ways. Rubber is also a mixture of polymers.
Q: Are there man-made polymers?
A: Yes, plastics are man-made polymers that can be used for various purposes such as making fibers or objects like plastic bags or bottles.
Q: What is the difference between homopolymer and copolymer?
A: If the “units” called monomers in a polymer are all the same, then it is referred to as a homopolymer; if they differ then it is referred to as either copolymer or heteropolymer. Homopolymers can be named by adding the prefix ‘poly’ before the name of its monomer unit e.g., if styrene molecules bond together then it will form Polystyrene homopolymer .
Q: How do large hydrocarbon molecules get converted into smaller ones ?
A: Large hydrocarbon molecules in crude oil can be broken down into smaller molecules e.g., ethylene by applying heat - this process is known as cracking - after which ethylene can further be turned into another type of polymer called Polyethylene by applying pressure and adding catalysts
