Here are the suggested activities if you need to catch up any of Chapter 11.

11.1 Addition Polymerisation

We learnt that alkenes can react together in a polymerisation reaction to form an addition polymer.

Read Kerboodle Pages 168 - 169

We paid particular attention to how we should write out the equations and how we should draw the molecules so that we get the answers right for the structure of polymers.

In the next lesson we recapped what we had learnt by watching this twig video (login and password both elizabethcollege)

Twig - Plastics and Polymers : Twig (twig-world.com)

We then worked through Question 4 on this booklet, and did any further questions if time allowed. We corrected them as part of a homework task.

11.2 Condensation Polymerisation

We reminded ourselves that condensation reactions are ones, such as making an ester, where a small water molecule is produced. We reminded ourselves of what we know about esters by watching this twig video here:

Twig - Esters and Perfumes : Twig (twig-world.com)

I went through the slides in this powerpoint to explain the principle of the process and used it as a reminder of the differences between condensation polymers that we were learning about today, and addition polymers from last week.

We referred to Kerboodle Pages 170-171

We then made nylon "Nylon Rope Trick" which was a demonstration.

We watched a clip about the invention of Nylon here

Twig - Invention of Nylon : Twig (twig-world.com)

You can also watch an extra clip about how it is made in industry here

We summarised everything we had learnt and watched the Cognito clip

In a later lesson we will work through some of the questions on this sheet. 

11.3 Natural Polymers

We read through the double page in the textbook, Pages 172-173

We discussed the sections we read as we went through them highlighting the key points:

• Each polymer is made up from a specific kind of monomer
• Wherever it is formed by a condensation reaction then a small molecule, usually water, is formed
• The most common questions relate to "what type of monomer forms this of polymer?" or vice versa

In the same lesson we moved on to the next double page about:

11.4 DNA

We read Pages 174-175

We reinforced the key learning points from this page:

• DNA is a double helix formed of two polymer strands
• The strands are made up of nucleotides (monomers).
• There are four different nucleotides (T, A, C, G).
• The two strands are joined together by intermolecular forces between the nucleotides

The question in past papers has been "Describe the structure of DNA". It can be a 2, 3 or 4 mark question which is looking for you to state the above points.

We then watched the Cognito Clip on all of 11.3 and 11.4

For the last part of the lesson we then made a revision resource on 11.3 and 11.4 listing all the key monomers and their polymers, and the type of bond formed etc.

We will complete practice questions on both Chapters 10 and 11:

End of Topic Tests