English National Curriculum Science

4. Describe the properties of polymers

Mission Objectives

State the uses of polymers

Describe the properties of polymers

Explain how the properties of polymers are related to their uses

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KS3-17-04 Handout KS3-17-04 Handout PDF

Keywords

Words and meanings to learn

polymer

a substance made up of many small molecules (monomers)

synthetic polymer

human-made polymers; they are generally found in consumer products or food packaging

polyethene

a tough, light flexible synthetic resin made by polymerising ethene, chiefly used for plastic bags, food containers, and other packaging

natural polymer

occur in nature and can be extracted; e.g. silk and wool

polymerisation

a process of reacting monomer molecules together in a chemical reaction to form polymer chains

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Required Resources

Resources: Polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), nylon, polythene and clear acrylic. 

Core Handout: A table to record results and questions to check understanding, as well as the challenge task.

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