Polymers

Polymers Tiny molecules strung in long repeating chains form polymers. Why should you care' Well for one thing, your body is made of them. DNA, the genetic blueprint that defines people and other living things, is a polymer. So are the proteins and starches in the foods we eat, the wheels on our skateboards and in-line skates, and the tires on our bikes and cars. In fact, we are surrounded by polymers, everywhere we go. There’s another great reason to learn about polymers. Understanding their chemistry can help us use them wisely. Once we’re familiar with the varieties of polymers that people make, such as plastics, we can recycle many of them and use them again. That’s good for the environment Although the fundamental property of bulk polymers is the degree of polymerization, the physical structure of the chain is also an important factor that determines the macroscopic properties. The terms configuration and conformation are used to describe the geometric structure of a polymer and are often confused. Configuration refers to the order that is determined by chemical bonds. The configuration of a polymer cannot be altered unless chemical bonds are broken and reformed. Conformation refers to order that arises from the rotation polymer, polymers, bond, groups, chain, atoms, two, following, different, configuration, one, conformation, bonds, about, types, trans, three, structures, structure, single, side, rotation, refers, possible, monomer, double, diagram, copolymer, conformations, cis, chains, branching, branches, branched