Playbook
Introduction to Polymer Chemistry
85 q - 2.04/paper - one HARD question in all 85. A monomer table and a uses table.
- Questions in the bank
- 85
- q/paper (2024–25 papers)
- 2.04
- Tagged HARD
- 1%
- Subtopics
- 4
Strand: Recall
When you’ll see it
A polymer's monomers, its class, how it is made, or what it is used for.
How this chapter is tested
85 q at 2.04 a paper, and one HARD question in all of them. Two tables do nearly everything: monomers (29 q) and uses (25 q).
Classification (22 q) sorts the same polymers three ways — addition against condensation, homopolymer against copolymer, thermoplastic against thermosetting — so one polymer learned properly answers three kinds of question. Polymerisation methods (9 q) are free-radical, ionic and condensation mechanisms by name.
The sub-skills
The distinct skills inside the chapter, in the order to learn them.
Monomers
Nylon 6,6: hexamethylenediamine + adipic acid. Nylon 6: caprolactam. Buna-S: butadiene + styrene. Buna-N: butadiene + acrylonitrile. Terylene: ethylene glycol + terephthalic acid. Bakelite: phenol + formaldehyde.
Classes
Condensation polymers lose a small molecule (nylon, terylene, bakelite); addition polymers do not (polythene, PVC, Teflon).
Uses
PVC pipes, Teflon non-stick, PAN a wool substitute, glyptal paints, nylon 6 tyre cords.
Traps to expect
Distractor shapes this chapter reuses. The Traps page covers the patterns that cut across chapters.
Nylon 6 against nylon 6,6
Nylon 6 comes from one monomer (caprolactam); nylon 6,6 from two. The numbers count carbons in each monomer.
Buna-S against Buna-N
S is styrene, N is acrylonitrile; both are copolymers with butadiene.
Learn it before you drill it
This chapter has full teaching notes — foundations, worked examples, self-checks and a per-subtopic mastery checkpoint. Read the notes once, then drill subtopic by subtopic below.
Introduction to Polymer Chemistry notesDrill every introduction to polymer chemistry question
85 questions from the bank, scoped to 4 bundled subtopics.
Drill one subtopic at a time
The 4 subtopics this playbook covers, in catalog order.
Related playbooks
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