Inspirational chemistry 57

Monomer – Polymer card game

Index 3.1.4
3 sheets

How to set up
Make enough sets of the cards to give one set for every two or three students in the
class. Laminating the cards makes them last longer.

What to do
Divide the students into pairs or small groups and give each group a set of cards.
Students lay all the cards face down on the table and take it in turns to pick up two
cards. If a player picks up a ‘pair’ – ie a polymer card and the card showing the
monomer that can be used to make that polymer – then they keep the cards.
Otherwise, they put them down and the next player has a turn. Picture cards have also
been included to encourage students to make links between monomers, polymers and
objects made from polymers.

How to use this activity

This activity could be used as a plenary after a teaching session on monomers and
polymers.

Time
5–10 minutes, depending on the ability of the students.

IUPAC names
Styrene – phenylethene
Vinyl acetate – ethoxyethene
Teflon – polytetrafluoroethene

Monomer – Polymer card game: more difficult version

A more difficult version of the above card game is given where the polymers are not
named to encourage the students to look carefully at the polymer structures. Picture
cards of the polymers have also been included; the students can link monomers,
polymers and objects made from polymers.
Monomer – Polymer card game

H H H H H H

C C C C C C

H C6H5 H C6H5 H C6H5 n

Styrene Polystyrene

H H
H H H H
C C
C C C C
H Cl
CH3 H CH3 H n
Polypropene
Vinyl chloride
(chloroethene)

H H H H H H

C C C C C C

Cl H Cl H H O
n COCH3
Polyvinyl chloride
(pvc)
Vinyl acetate

TO C
Monomer–Polymer card game – page 1 of 3, Index 3.1.4 P
OP
PHO

Y
 H H
H H H H
C C
C C C C
H H
H O H O n
COCH3 COCH3

Polyvinyl acetate Ethene

(pva)

H H
H H H H
C C
C C C C
H CH3
H H H H n
Polythene
(poly(ethene))
Propene

TO C
Monomer–Polymer card game – page 2 of 3, Index 3.1.4 P
OP
PHO

Y
 TO C
Monomer–Polymer card game – page 3 of 3, Index 3.1.4 P
OP
PHO

Y
Monomer – Polymer card game:
more difficult version

H H H H H H

C C C C C C

H H H H H H n

Ethene

H H H H

C C C C

H CH3 H C6H5

Propene Styrene

H H H H H H H H

C C C C C C C C

H C6H5 H C6H5 n CH3 H CH3 H n

TO C
Monomer–Polymer game – difficult – page 1 of 3, Index 3.1.4 P
OP
PHO

Y
 H H H H H H

C C C C C C

H Cl Cl H Cl H n

Vinyl chloride
(chloroethene)

H H H Cl

C C C C

H O H Cl
COCH3

Vinyl acetate Vinylidenechloride

(ethenyl ethanoate) (dichloroethene)

H Cl H Cl H H H H

C C C C C C C C

H Cl H Cl n H O H O n
COCH3 COCH3

F F
F F F F
C C
C C C C
F F
F F F F n

Tetrafluoroethylene Teflon
(tetrafluoroethene)

TO C
Monomer–Polymer game – difficult – page 2 of 3, Index 3.1.4 P
OP
PHO

Y
 TO C
Monomer–Polymer game – difficult – page 3 of 3, Index 3.1.4 P
OP
PHO