Polymers Practice Questions

State what is meant by the term polymer.

Some polymers are made by living things.

Complete the table by giving the name of the monomer that each natural polymer is made from.

Natural polymer	Name of monomer
starch
protein
DNA

PTFE is used to coat the inside of frying pans.

Which statement explains why PTFE is suitable for this use?

A PTFE is a good conductor of heat

B PTFE has a very low friction surface and is unreactive

C PTFE is biodegradable

D PTFE has a very low melting point

PVC is used to make window frames.

Give two properties of PVC that make it suitable for this use.

Crates for carrying bottles are made from poly(propene) rather than poly(ethene).

Suggest one reason for this.

Poly(ethene) is not biodegradable.

Explain why burying waste poly(ethene) in landfill sites causes a problem.

Waste PVC is burned in the incinerator.

Give one problem caused by burning PVC.

Name the type of polymerisation reaction in which ethene molecules combine together to form poly(ethene).

Write an equation for the formation of poly(ethene) from ethene.

Use $n$ to represent a large number.

A molecule of tetrafluoroethene is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1

Draw the repeating unit of poly(tetrafluoroethene), showing all covalent bonds.

Draw the structure of the monomer used to make this polymer, showing all covalent bonds.

One molecule of this polymer contains 2500 repeating units.

Calculate the relative molecular mass of this polymer molecule.

(relative atomic masses: $\mathrm{H} = 1$, $\mathrm{C} = 12$, $\mathrm{Cl} = 35.5$)

Name the type of link formed when monomer X reacts with monomer Y.

Explain why the formation of this polyester is described as condensation polymerisation.

Explain why each monomer must contain two functional groups for a polyester to form.

Calculate the percentage of the energy needed to make 1 tonne of poly(ethene) from crude oil that is saved by making it from recycled waste instead.

Use the information given and your own knowledge to evaluate the decision to recycle the council's waste poly(ethene).

On Figure 3, draw a ring around one ester link.

This polyester is made from two different monomers.

Draw a molecule of each monomer, showing all covalent bonds.

A chain of this polyester is formed from 20 molecules of one monomer and 20 molecules of the other monomer.

Deduce the number of molecules of water produced when this chain is formed.

The three products are:

• a thin carrier bag for shopping
• a food container that is reheated in a microwave oven and washed at 70 °C in a dishwasher
• a non-stick coating for the inside of a saucepan

Use the information in the table and your own knowledge to choose the most suitable polymer for each product.

Explain your choices.