11.8 Polymers

2026 Syllabus Objectives

1. Core: Define polymers as large molecules built up from many smaller molecules called monomers
2. Core: Describe the formation of poly(ethene) as an example of addition polymerisation using ethene monomers
3. Core: State that plastics are made from polymers
4. Core: Describe how the properties of plastics have implications for their disposal
5. Core: Describe the environmental challenges caused by plastics, limited to: (a) disposal in landfill sites (b) accumulation in oceans (c) formation of toxic gases from burning
6. Supplement: Identify the repeat units and/or linkages in addition polymers and in condensation polymers
7. Supplement: Deduce the structure or repeat unit of an addition polymer from a given alkene and vice versa
8. Supplement: Deduce the structure or repeat unit of a condensation polymer from given monomers and vice versa, limited to: (a) polyamides from a dicarboxylic acid and a diamine (b) polyesters from a dicarboxylic acid and a diol
9. Supplement: Describe the differences between addition and condensation polymerisation
10. Supplement: Describe and draw the structure of: (a) nylon, a polyamide (b) PET, a polyester. The full name for PET, polyethylene terephthalate, is not required
11. Supplement: State that PET can be converted back into monomers and re-polymerised
12. Supplement: Describe proteins as natural polyamides and that they are formed from amino acid monomers with the general structure where R represents different types of side-chain
13. Supplement: Describe and draw the structure of proteins