L08. Making Polymers
Lesson Outcomes
APP AF4
HSW 1c,2c,3a,3c
Task 1: Describe the relationship
between a monomer and its
polymer
Grade C
How I did
Targets
Connector:
Complete the
table on the
next slide
about alkenes
(Grade D)
Task 2: Describe how
polymerisation works
Grade B
Task 3: Construct displayed
formulae of monomers and
polymers
Grade A/A*
Alkenes
No. of
carbon atoms
Molecular
formula
Name
2
C2H4
ethene
3
C3H6
propene
4
C4H8
butene
5
C5H10
pentene
6
C6H12
hexene
BIG picture
• What skills will you be developing this lesson?
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ICT
Numeracy
Literacy
Team work
Self management
Creative thinking
Independent enquiry
Participation
Reflection
• How is this lesson relevant to every day life?
(WRL/CIT)
New Information for Task 1
• Watch presentation 001 on the next slide.
• Now write down what they all have in common.
• Write down how are these materials are made?
• Share your answer with a partner.
• Pairs feed back one of their answers to the rest of the
class, ‘passing’ if their answer has already been given.
Task 1 (Grade C)
• Task 1:
• Write down one thing you know
about each of the key words
below:
monomer, polymer, polymerisation,
alkene
Keywords for Task 1:
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• Task 1: Extension
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What are polymers?
Polymers are very large molecules made when hundreds of monomers join
together to form long chains.
The word ‘polymer’ comes from the Greek words poly (meaning
‘many’) and meros (meaning ‘parts’).
Plastics are synthetic polymers that can be shaped
by heat or pressure.
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What keeps the chain together?
The monomers in a polymer are joined together by covalent bonds between
atoms.
In a covalent bond, each atom shares one or more electron with another atom. The
bonds are sometimes shown as sticks.
covalent
bond
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Task 1: Review
Go back to your lesson outcome grid and fill out
the ‘How I did’ and the ‘Targets’ column.
Lesson Outcomes
Task 1:
Grade C
How I did
Met?
Partly met?
Not met?
Targets
How can I improve
on task 1?
New Information for Task 2
• Watch presentation 002 and the animation
001:
• Think about what are polymers and how are
they formed.
How is polyethene made?
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What are polymers made from?
Many polymers are formed from alkenes, which are a family of hydrocarbon
molecules with the general formula CnH2n.
Alkenes contain at least one double covalent bond between carbon atoms. The
double bond makes them very reactive.
 The simplest alkene is ethene
(C2H4).
double
covalent
bond
 The second simplest alkene is
propene (C3H6).
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Addition polymerization
Polyethene (sometimes called polythene) is a polymer made from ethene.
The process by which polyethene and other polymers is made is called addition
polymerization. This is because many monomers (ethene molecules) are added
together.

monomers
addition polymerization
polymer
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Drawing polymers – shorthand formulae
Polymers contain thousands of molecules, so how can their structures be easily
drawn?
Part of the polymer molecule can be drawn:
A better way is to show a shorthand formula:
The ‘n’ means that the polymer contains a very
large number of the repeating unit shown in the
brackets.
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Task 2 (Grade B)
• Task 2: Explain what polymer
are and how they are formed
• Task 2: Extension: Draw the
following polymers from the
monomers on the right hand
side:
Task 2: Monomers
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Task 2: Answers
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polyvinylchloride (PVC)?
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polypropene
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polythene
Task 2: Review
Go back to your lesson outcome grid and fill out
the ‘How I did’ and the ‘Targets’ column.
Lesson Outcomes
Task 2:
Grade B
How I did
Met?
Partly met?
Not met?
Targets
How can I improve
on task 2?
New Information for Task 3
• Watch the demonstration on making nylon
Task 3: (Grade A/A*)
• Task 3:
• Carry out the practical on
making slime and complete the
activity sheet 1.8
Keywords for Task 3:
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• Task 3: Extension
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Task 3: Answers
Task 3: Review
Go back to your lesson outcome grid and fill out
the ‘How I did’ and the ‘Targets’ column.
Lesson Outcomes
Task 3:
Grade A/A*
How I did
Met?
Partly met?
Not met?
Targets
How can I improve
on task 3?
Keywords:
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Additional polymerisation
Monomer
Polymer
Polymerisation
Put your hand up if there is any key word
that you don’t know the meaning of.
Review of lesson
• Watch interactive 001
• Match the monomers to their polymers.
Homework
• Homework task:
• Due date:
• Criteria for Grade C:
• Criteria for Grade B:
• Criteria for Grade A/A*:
Technicians’ List