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Organic Chemistry

Condensation polymerisation

  • 3 things to know
  • Paper 2

Overview

Monomers with two functional groups joining with the loss of a small molecule such as water, how this differs from addition polymerisation, ethanediol and hexanedioic acid forming a polyester, why each monomer needs two functional groups, and what the repeating unit of a condensation polymer shows.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

Explain the basic principle of condensation polymerisation in terms of functional groups.

Key term

State one difference between addition polymerisation and condensation polymerisation.

Key term

In the simplest condensation polymers, how many different monomers are used?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    How many functional groups does each monomer carry in condensation polymerisation?

    Model answer

    Two.

  2. 2

    Which small molecule is usually lost during condensation polymerisation?

    Model answer

    Water.

  3. 3

    State one difference between addition polymerisation and condensation polymerisation.

    Model answer

    Addition polymerisation produces only the polymer, whereas condensation polymerisation also produces a small molecule such as water.

  4. 4

    In the simplest condensation polymers, how many different monomers are used?

    Model answer

    Two different monomers.

  5. 5

    In the simplest condensation polymers, what is true of the two functional groups on each monomer?

    Model answer

    The two groups on any one monomer are the same as each other.

  6. 6

    100 molecules of one monomer react with 100 molecules of another to build a single chain. How many water molecules are released?

    Model answer

    199, because 200 units joined in one chain make 199 links.

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