Chemistry·Organic chemistry · NSSCO 10.8
Polymers & macromolecules
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Plastics, nylon, DNA, proteins and starch are all giant molecules — polymers built from small repeating units. Learn addition and condensation polymerisation, how poly(ethene) and nylon form, the natural polymers in food, and the pollution problem of plastics.
What you'll learn in this lesson
By the end you should be able to (NSSCO Chemistry 10.8):
- Describe polymers as large molecules built from small units (monomers)
- Describe addition and condensation polymerisation
- Deduce a polymer structure from an alkene monomer and vice versa; describe poly(ethene) formation
- Describe nylon (a polyamide) and Terylene (a polyester) as condensation polymers
- Name proteins, fats and carbohydrates and describe their structures and hydrolysis
- Classify fibres as natural or synthetic and describe plastic pollution
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