Polymer Basics Name Elizabeth Kresock
Use the sites on the Matter & Atoms page of the Kid Zone at http://sciencespot.net/ to complete this worksheet.
Site #1: HandsOn Plastics
1. Plastics are polymers, which is something made of many units similar to a chain. Each
link in the chain is the “mer” or basic unit usually made out of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen,
and/or silicon. To make the chain, many links or units are hooked or polymerized together.
2. Many common classes of polymers are composed of hydrocarbons, which contain the elements
carbon and hydrogen. List seven elements that are also found in polymers:Oxygen, chlorine, fluorine, nitrogen, silicon, phosphorous, and sulfur
3. What is one of the most famous silicon-based polymers? Silly Putty
4. What are the general attributes (properties) of polymers?
A. Polymers can be very resistant to chemicals.
B. Polymers can be both thermal and electrical insulators.
C. Polymers are very light in mass with varying degrees of strength.
D. Polymers can be processed in various ways to produce thin fibers or very intricate parts.
5. What percentage of our trash are plastics? 9.9%
6. What does WTE mean? waste-to-energy. What are two benefits of WTE?
1 – We can use plastics that cannot be recycled.
2 – Incineration of polymers produces heat energy.
Site #2: History of Plastics
Read the information on this page to help you complete this section. Fill in the blanks with the year it was first
produced and the last name(s) of the person credited with the discovery/development. Use the information to list the
substances with dates from the oldest to the most recent in the box.
Rayon – Developed in 1891 by Bernigaut
Silly Putty - Developed in 1949 by Wright
Cellophane - Discovered in 1900 by Brandenberger
Parkesine - Discovered in 1862 by Parker
Nylon - Developed in 1939 by Carothers
Bakelite - Developed in 1907 by Baekeland
Velcro - Developed in 1957 by Maestral
Saran - Discovered in 1933 by Wiley
PVC (Vinyl) – Developed by Simon
Polyethylene – Developed in 1936 by Fawcett & Gibson
Teflon – Discovered in 1938 by Plunkett
Celluoid - Developed in 1869 by Hyatt
Plastics Timeline
Oldest to Most Recent
1 Parkesine
2 Celluoid
3 Rayon
4 Cellophane
4 Bakellite
5 Saran
6 Polyethylene
8 Teflon
9 Nylon
10 Silly Putty
11 Velcro
Site #3: Nobel Prize.org: Plastics & Polymers
http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/chemistry/plastics/readmore.html
Plastics have changed the world: Where did the word plastic come from?
It came from the Greek word plasticos, which means “to mold,” because plastics are soft and mold-able.
What are plastics? Synthetic polymers Define the following words after reading the section titled “What are plastics”
• monomer: The building blocks for making polymers
"one part" (mono = one, mer = part)
• polymer: Many monomers that are joined together in chains
"many parts" (poly = many)
• organic material: Carbon Compounds
Polymerization: The steps listed below explain how plastic is made. Fill in the missing blanks.
1. Crude oil, the unprocessed oil that comes out of the ground, contains hundreds of different hydrocarbons, as well as small amounts of other materials. The job of an
oil refinery is to separate these materials and also to break down (or "crack) large hydrocarbons into smaller ones.
2. A petrochemical plant receives refined oil containing the small monomers they need and creates polymers through chemical reactions.
3. A plastics factory buys the end products of a petrochemical plant - polymers in the form of resins - introduces additives to modify or obtain desirable properties, then molds or otherwise forms the final plastic products
Polymers are Everywhere: Read the paragraph titled “Polymers are Everywhere”, then answer true or false to the following questions.
• True Plastics are polymers, but polymers don't have to be plastics.
• False Cellulose, the basic component of plant cell wall, and DNA, the long molecule in the nuclei of your cells that carries all the genetic information about you, are both examples of plastics.
• True Natural polymers include silk, wool, cotton, wood, and leather.
Thermoplastics & Thermosets: Plastics are classified into two categories according to what happens to them when they're heated to high temperatures. Complete the table below.
Thermoplastics Thermosets
Site #4 – Polymer Flash Activities
1. Click the link to make a virtual polymer and choose polyethylene.
A. What type of monomer is used to make this polymer? Ethylene
B. What elements and how many of each is in one of these monomers?
C = Carbon # - 2 H = Hydrogen # - 4
C. What starts the process? Initiator
2. Click the link to try the matching games. Record your times or scores in the blanks below.
A. Breakfast Game– 1st Try = 9588 2nd Try = 9632 3rd Try = 9608
B. Polymer Game - – 1st Try = 9615 2nd Try = 9621 3rd Try = 9379
Use the sites on the Matter & Atoms page of the Kid Zone at http://sciencespot.net/ to complete this worksheet.
Site #1: HandsOn Plastics
1. Plastics are polymers, which is something made of many units similar to a chain. Each
link in the chain is the “mer” or basic unit usually made out of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen,
and/or silicon. To make the chain, many links or units are hooked or polymerized together.
2. Many common classes of polymers are composed of hydrocarbons, which contain the elements
carbon and hydrogen. List seven elements that are also found in polymers:Oxygen, chlorine, fluorine, nitrogen, silicon, phosphorous, and sulfur
3. What is one of the most famous silicon-based polymers? Silly Putty
4. What are the general attributes (properties) of polymers?
A. Polymers can be very resistant to chemicals.
B. Polymers can be both thermal and electrical insulators.
C. Polymers are very light in mass with varying degrees of strength.
D. Polymers can be processed in various ways to produce thin fibers or very intricate parts.
5. What percentage of our trash are plastics? 9.9%
6. What does WTE mean? waste-to-energy. What are two benefits of WTE?
1 – We can use plastics that cannot be recycled.
2 – Incineration of polymers produces heat energy.
Site #2: History of Plastics
Read the information on this page to help you complete this section. Fill in the blanks with the year it was first
produced and the last name(s) of the person credited with the discovery/development. Use the information to list the
substances with dates from the oldest to the most recent in the box.
Rayon – Developed in 1891 by Bernigaut
Silly Putty - Developed in 1949 by Wright
Cellophane - Discovered in 1900 by Brandenberger
Parkesine - Discovered in 1862 by Parker
Nylon - Developed in 1939 by Carothers
Bakelite - Developed in 1907 by Baekeland
Velcro - Developed in 1957 by Maestral
Saran - Discovered in 1933 by Wiley
PVC (Vinyl) – Developed by Simon
Polyethylene – Developed in 1936 by Fawcett & Gibson
Teflon – Discovered in 1938 by Plunkett
Celluoid - Developed in 1869 by Hyatt
Plastics Timeline
Oldest to Most Recent
1 Parkesine
2 Celluoid
3 Rayon
4 Cellophane
4 Bakellite
5 Saran
6 Polyethylene
8 Teflon
9 Nylon
10 Silly Putty
11 Velcro
Site #3: Nobel Prize.org: Plastics & Polymers
http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/chemistry/plastics/readmore.html
Plastics have changed the world: Where did the word plastic come from?
It came from the Greek word plasticos, which means “to mold,” because plastics are soft and mold-able.
What are plastics? Synthetic polymers Define the following words after reading the section titled “What are plastics”
• monomer: The building blocks for making polymers
"one part" (mono = one, mer = part)
• polymer: Many monomers that are joined together in chains
"many parts" (poly = many)
• organic material: Carbon Compounds
Polymerization: The steps listed below explain how plastic is made. Fill in the missing blanks.
1. Crude oil, the unprocessed oil that comes out of the ground, contains hundreds of different hydrocarbons, as well as small amounts of other materials. The job of an
oil refinery is to separate these materials and also to break down (or "crack) large hydrocarbons into smaller ones.
2. A petrochemical plant receives refined oil containing the small monomers they need and creates polymers through chemical reactions.
3. A plastics factory buys the end products of a petrochemical plant - polymers in the form of resins - introduces additives to modify or obtain desirable properties, then molds or otherwise forms the final plastic products
Polymers are Everywhere: Read the paragraph titled “Polymers are Everywhere”, then answer true or false to the following questions.
• True Plastics are polymers, but polymers don't have to be plastics.
• False Cellulose, the basic component of plant cell wall, and DNA, the long molecule in the nuclei of your cells that carries all the genetic information about you, are both examples of plastics.
• True Natural polymers include silk, wool, cotton, wood, and leather.
Thermoplastics & Thermosets: Plastics are classified into two categories according to what happens to them when they're heated to high temperatures. Complete the table below.
Thermoplastics Thermosets
| Can it be shaped? | yes | no |
| Analogy | When ice is heated, it melts. When thermoplastics are heated, they melt. | Just like a raw egg can become a boiled egg, a scrambled egg, etc; a thermoset can become many different things. |
| Strong or weak bonds | weak, connected, linear, bonds | strong, cross-linked bonds |
| Uses | There are many different uses including food wrap, food containers, lighting panels, and garden hoses. | Thermosets are used for things that can be heated up such as kitchen spatulas, and other kitchen tools. They are also in glues and circuitboards. |
| Recyling: Easy or Hard? | Easy because they can be molded into different shapes. | Hard because they have to be crushed to create powder which can be used for other thermosets. |
Site #4 – Polymer Flash Activities
1. Click the link to make a virtual polymer and choose polyethylene.
A. What type of monomer is used to make this polymer? Ethylene
B. What elements and how many of each is in one of these monomers?
C = Carbon # - 2 H = Hydrogen # - 4
C. What starts the process? Initiator
2. Click the link to try the matching games. Record your times or scores in the blanks below.
A. Breakfast Game– 1st Try = 9588 2nd Try = 9632 3rd Try = 9608
B. Polymer Game - – 1st Try = 9615 2nd Try = 9621 3rd Try = 9379
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