Question

Using Polymers to Investigate the Behavior of Molecular and Ionic Compounds Post-Lab COONE COONa C=O COOH COONa 0 _Crosslinking molecule Regions of high ion concentration COONa COON C=O COOH COONa Figure 8.2. Two sodium polyacrylate polymer chains connected by a crosslink- ing molecule. The crosslinking creates a space for water to be trapped between the polymer chains. Part A 1. What is a polymer? Monomer? 2. Look up and draw the monomers used to make sodium polyacrylate polymer chains.

Answer 1

1.

Polymer:

Polymer is a large molecule which is made from many smaller molecules binding together. Poly means many and mer means unit. So, polymer is a combination of many smaller mer units.

Monomer:

Monomers are the smaller molecular units which binds together to form polymer.

2.

Structure of sodium polyacrylate:

COONa įCOONa COONa i cooNa These arce the monomer units

We can also write the structure as:

cooNa threoughout that repeats itself unit This is the monomer polymer chain. the

Structure of the monomer unit is,

cooNa

This monomer unit can be prepared by reaction of acrylic acid and NaOH.

+ NaOH +H₂O CooNa Соон Cacrylic acid)

Then this monomer undergoes polymerization to give sodium polyacrylate,

palymerization cooNa OONa

Basically to prepare sodium polyacrylate we need to polymerize acrylic acid with a mixture of NaOH.

So, the monomer used to prepare sodium polyacrylate is ARCYLIC ACID.

Structure of acrylic acid is,

Соон