ATAR Notes: Forum
VCE Stuff => VCE Science => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Chemistry => Topic started by: Newton on May 03, 2012, 07:12:37 pm
-
What are monomers and polymers? Difference? Also what are Isomers?
-
Polymer just means 'many monomers'. Monomers are molecules that bind together to form polymers.
For example, many monomers of glucose can chemically bind to form the polymer, starch. You can think about the little lego blocks as the monomers and when you connect many together, you form the polymer :)
Isomers are molecules or compounds that have the same molecular formula but different structural formulas. So they are made up of the same atoms, but these atoms are arranged differently. Once again, you can think about lego. With the same number and kind of blocks, you can create many different shapes. In this case, the lego blocks would be the atoms, which form the molecular formula, and the way you asssemble them, would be the stuctural formula.
Because of the difference in arrangement of the atoms, in many cases, isomers do not share similar chemical properties.
Look at the the difference in structures of butane and iso-butane
http://butane.wikispaces.com/file/view/Isobutane.gif
Both are made up of 4 carbon atoms and 10 hydrogen atoms, which are arranged differently
Hope that helps :)
-
A monomer is a single unit that makes up a polymer. Easy way to remember: mono = 1 and poly = many (this applies to everything really).
An example is say ethene, which has a double bond between the two C's. This is a monomer. Polyethene is a polymer comprised of lots of these linked together covalently. I think last time I checked, it has to be greater than 10 units to be a polymer. Its an oligomer otherwise (i.e 2-9 units in length). I may be wrong here...
An isomer can be many things, but a structural isomer is basically a molecule with the same molecular formula but different structural formula. So its arranged differently but contains the same number of atoms and types of atoms.