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Cambridge International AS & A Level Chemistry – Organic Chemistry (A Level)

Topic 35
Polymerisation

Topic 35 at A Level covers condensation polymerisation (35.1): polyesters from diols with dicarboxylic acids or dioyl chlorides and from hydroxycarboxylic acids, polyamides from diamines with dicarboxylic acids or dioyl chlorides and from aminocarboxylic acids and amino acids, and deducing repeat units and monomers; predicting the type of polymerisation (35.2); and the degradable polymers (35.3): inert poly(alkenes), polymers degraded by light, and polyesters and polyamides that are biodegradable by acidic and alkaline hydrolysis.

Exam Paper
Paper 4
9701 A Level
Learning Outcomes
35.1.1 – 35.3.3
3 sections covered
Sub-topics
2 lessons
Revision notes available
Exam Board
Cambridge
9701 (2025 onwards)

Revision Notes

2 revision notes, in the order the specification teaches them.

Two kinds of monomer linked with water leaving
1

Condensation Polymers: Polyamides and Polyesters

Condensation polymers: polyamides and polyesters, repeat units, monomers, linkages and intermolecular forces.

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Plastic buried in the ground and an incinerator with a chimney filter
2

Polymers: Properties and Disposal

Polymer properties and disposal: inert polyalkenes, hydrolysable polyesters and polyamides.

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Summary Map

Download, print and revise the key facts of this topic at a glance.

Summary map

Download, print and revise the key facts of this topic at a glance.

Illustration of a summary map: compounds joined by reaction arrows
Summary map · PDF

Polymers Map

Cambridge International · Topic 35 Polymerisation

Polyesters, polyamides, predicting the type and degradable polymers on one page.

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Revision Game

Match reagents to products, free, with your board's reagents and conditions.

Illustration of memory game cards, two turned face up as a matching pairFree

Revision Game: Polymerisation

Turn the cards over two at a time: match reagents to what they make, and find how each product is made.

A free memory game on the reactions in this topic, with your board's reagents, conditions and spec points.

  • Two ways to playMatch each set of reagents to what the reaction makes, or see a product and find the reactant and reagents that make it.
  • Drawn the way the exam draws themEvery structure is drawn in ChemDraw, with the reagents and conditions your exam board asks for.
  • It countsRounds earn XP and keep your streak going, and every correct match shows in your KASP analytics, apart from your marks.

Study Cards

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Specification

Every specification point in this topic, in the exam board's own words. Rate how confident you are with each one.

Official Cambridge documentsSyllabus (opens the Cambridge website in a new tab)

Cambridge no longer issues a data booklet: the data you need are given in each question, and the syllabus has a Data section.

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35.1.1

  1. a i

    describe the formation of polyesters by the reaction between a diol and a dicarboxylic acid

    Revise
  2. a ii

    describe the formation of polyesters by the reaction between a diol and a dioyl chloride

    Revise
  3. b

    describe the formation of polyesters by the reaction of a hydroxycarboxylic acid

    Revise

35.1.2

  1. a i

    describe the formation of polyamides by the reaction between a diamine and a dicarboxylic acid

    Revise
  2. a ii

    describe the formation of polyamides by the reaction between a diamine and a dioyl chloride

    Revise
  3. b

    describe the formation of polyamides by the reaction of an aminocarboxylic acid

    Revise
  4. c

    describe the formation of polyamides by the reaction between amino acids

    Revise

35.1.3

  1. 35.1.3

    deduce the repeat unit of a condensation polymer obtained from a given monomer or pair of monomers

    Revise

35.1.4

  1. 35.1.4

    identify the monomer(s) present in a given section of a condensation polymer molecule

    Revise

35.2.1

  1. 35.2.1

    predict the type of polymerisation reaction for a given monomer or pair of monomers

    Revise

35.2.2

  1. 35.2.2

    deduce the type of polymerisation reaction which produces a given section of a polymer molecule

    Revise

35.3.1

  1. 35.3.1

    recognise that poly(alkenes) are chemically inert and can therefore be difficult to biodegrade

    Revise

35.3.2

  1. 35.3.2

    recognise that some polymers can be degraded by the action of light

    Revise

35.3.3

  1. a

    recognise that polyesters are biodegradable by acidic and alkaline hydrolysis

    Revise
  2. b

    recognise that polyamides are biodegradable by acidic and alkaline hydrolysis

    Revise