Chemical reaction - Polymerization, Monomers, Polymers: Polymers are high-molecular-weight compounds, fashioned by the aggregation of many smaller molecules called monomers. The plastics that have so changed society and the natural and synthetic fibres used in clothing are polymers. There are two basic ways to form polymers: (a) linking small molecules together, a type of addition reaction ...
If you've ever made a long paper chain, you already have a visual image of a polymer. The term comes from the Greek words poly, meaning "many," and meros, meaning "part." Combine the two and you get "many parts." The simplest definition of a polymer is long chain formed by joining many smaller molecules, called monomers [source: Larsen]. While a paper chain presents a simple image of a polymer ...