Free Polymers MCQs with Answers

• A. the joining together of many small repeating units called monomers
• B. the breaking of a large molecule into small units
• C. mixing two liquids without any reaction
• D. heating a metal until it melts

Explanation: Thousands of monomer units link together to form a chain whose properties are quite different from those of the monomer, so gaseous ethene…

• A. condensation polymerisation
• B. addition polymerisation
• C. hydrolysis
• D. esterification

Explanation: The double bond of each ethene molecule opens and the units join end to end with no atoms lost, so the empirical formula of the polymer is…

• A. no by product is formed
• B. the monomers contain double bonds that open
• C. a small molecule such as water or hydrogen chloride is eliminated at each linkage
• D. the polymer is condensed from a gas

Explanation: A diamine and a dicarboxylic acid react so that an amide linkage forms and water is expelled at each join, which is why the polymer…

• A. softens every time it is heated and can be remoulded
• B. dissolves readily in water
• C. conducts electricity
• D. sets permanently on first heating because cross links form between the chains

Explanation: Covalent cross links lock the chains into a rigid three dimensional network, so the material cannot be softened and remoulded and simply…

• A. chloroethene
• B. chloroethane
• C. ethene
• D. phenol

Explanation: Chloroethene, also called vinyl chloride, has the double bond needed for addition polymerisation and carries the chlorine that gives PVC…

• A. Polystyrene
• B. Cellulose
• C. Nylon
• D. Teflon

Explanation: Cellulose is a natural condensation polymer of beta glucose and is the main structural material of plant cell walls, as are starch…

• A. dissolve in rainwater and pollute rivers
• B. react violently with air
• C. are non biodegradable, because their inert carbon backbone resists attack by microorganisms
• D. release oxygen as they age

Explanation: The saturated carbon chain has no polar groups for enzymes to attack, so plastic waste persists in landfill and in the oceans for…

• A. two amino acids
• B. a diol with a dicarboxylic acid
• C. two molecules of ethene
• D. glucose units

Explanation: Ethane-1,2-diol reacts with benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid so that ester linkages form and water is eliminated, giving a polymer used for…

• A. tetrafluoroethene
• B. chloroethene
• C. propene
• D. styrene

Explanation: Every hydrogen of ethene is replaced by fluorine, and the resulting carbon to fluorine bonds are so strong and the surface so non polar…

• A. carbon black
• B. sulphur, which forms cross links between the polymer chains
• C. water under pressure
• D. sodium hydroxide

Explanation: Short chains of sulphur atoms bridge the polyisoprene chains, so they can no longer slide past one another permanently and the rubber…

• A. are always coloured
• B. are made from natural materials
• C. cannot be melted and reshaped once their cross links have formed
• D. dissolve in water

Explanation: The permanent covalent network of a thermoset means heating it decomposes the material rather than softening it, so it can only be ground…

• A. Bakelite
• B. Polyethylene terephthalate
• C. Urea formaldehyde resin
• D. Melamine resin

Explanation: Polyethylene terephthalate is a thermoplastic polyester that is clear, tough and impermeable to carbon dioxide, and because it melts…

• A. at least two different functional groups
• B. a benzene ring
• C. a hydroxyl group
• D. a carbon to carbon double bond

Explanation: The pi bond opens so that each unit can bond to the next with nothing eliminated, which is why ethene, propene, chloroethene and styrene…

• A. Homopolymer
• B. Thermosetting polymer
• C. Thermoplastic polymer
• D. Copolymer

Explanation: This is the option marked correct in the official UHS answer key. PVC softens on heating and can be remoulded repeatedly because its…

• A. Vinyl Chloride
• B. Vinyl acetate
• C. Formaldehyde
• D. Methyl methacrylate

Explanation: Polyvinyl acetate is formed by addition polymerisation of vinyl acetate, CH2=CH-OCOCH3, with the double bond opening to make the polymer…

• A. Natural rubber
• B. Vulcanized rubber
• C. synthetic rubber
• D. All of the above

Explanation: Neoprene is polychloroprene, a man-made elastomer produced by polymerising chloroprene, so it is a synthetic rubber.

• A. Nylon
• B. Polyester
• C. bakelite
• D. PVC

Explanation: Bakelite is a thermosetting phenol-formaldehyde polymer with extensive cross-links between its chains.

• A. High density polythene
• B. Low density polythene
• C. PVC
• D. both A and C

Explanation: High-density polythene has relatively unbranched, linear chains, and PVC is also generally classified as a linear addition polymer.

• A. Natural polymers
• B. semisynthetic polymers
• C. Synthetic polymers
• D. None of These

Explanation: Vulcanized rubber is natural rubber chemically modified by heating it with sulphur, which creates cross-links between polyisoprene chains.

• A. Natural rubber
• B. Synthetic rubber
• C. nylon 6-6
• D. Polystyrene

Explanation: Hexamethylene diamine reacts with adipic acid by condensation polymerisation, forming amide links and eliminating water.