AQA GCSE Chemistry Paper 2 Higher Tier Triple (8462 2H) - 11th June 2024 [Exam Chat]

yup

After that p1 this has to carry me

can anyone please explain condensation polymerisation to me? i wasnt in for that lesson and the diagrams on youtube just seem to confuse me

condensation polymeristion is the process by which monomers join to form polymer strands by also producing a small molecule which is generally water (unlikely something else will come up for GCSE)
The monomers undergoing condensation polymerisation generally either both end in O-H- ions as in…
H-O-[]-O-H
Or one of the above reacts with anything else that would form water…
H-[]-H etc
*[] being the rest of the monomer
When they react, these molecules at the end break off to form water (H2O) and the remaining molecule, similar to normal polymerisation, has two free bonds —[]— that bond to the rest of the monomers
The monomer is drawn by merging together the monomers once the small molecules have been removed
—()—[]—
Some diagrams may try and trip you up with other bonds being drawn but it is only ever -O-H or -H that break off
As H2O has 2 Hydrogen and 1 Oxygen molecules, if we have two monomers ending with O-H-
…as in H-O-[]-O-H H-O-[]-O-H
…then O-H- breaks off of one monomer and only -H breaks off the other
The formulae are drawn as
n[monomer] + n[monomer] ——> [monomer]n + 2n H2O
lmk if u didn’t understand or if i didn’t mention anything

ohhh okay this makes alot of sense! thank you! so would we have to memorise that structure of a polyester? i hope not lol

We probably need to be able to recognise it and we might be asked to draw it but probably given the two monomers so that shouldnt be too hard

can anyone please explain condensation polymerisation to me? i wasnt in for that lesson and the diagrams on youtube just seem to confuse me

where is the combined discussion?? i cant find it anywhere

Just go this thread https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7456038
and you’ll find it

I could not find it