A Level Chemistry (A2) chapter 13: Polymerisation MCQs with answers
By Team Megalecture · Updated 4 Nov 2026
72 exam-style questions on Polymerisation, each with the answer and a short explanation. Ten of them are below to try. The chapter test draws ten fresh questions each time and is marked the moment you finish, with your score by topic.
Try each one, then open the answer. These ten stay the same; the test draws new ones every time.
1. Which polymer is formed by condensation polymerisation?
A
nylon-6,6
B
poly(propene)
C
poly(chloroethene)
D
poly(phenylethene)
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Answer: A. Nylon-6,6 is a polyamide made from a diamine and a dicarboxylic acid with loss of water. The other three are made from alkenes by addition polymerisation.
2. A section of a polypeptide chain is –NH–CH(CH3)–CO–NH–CH2–CO–NH–CH(CH2OH)–CO–. Which amino acids formed it?
A
H2NCH2CH2COOH, H2NCH2COOH and H2NCH2CH(OH)COOH
B
H2NCH(CH3)COOH, H2NCH2COOH and H2NCH(CH2OH)COOH
C
CH3CH(OH)COOH, HOCH2COOH and HOCH2CH(OH)COOH
D
H2NCH(CH3)CONH2, H2NCH2CONH2 and H2NCH(CH2OH)CONH2
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Answer: B. Break each –CO–NH– link, adding OH to the CO and H to the NH. Each residue –NH–CHR–CO– becomes H2N–CHR–COOH, keeping the side chain (CH3, H, CH2OH) on the carbon next to the COOH.
3. Why does poly(ethene) persist for a very long time in landfill sites?
A
its ester links are hydrolysed only in strongly acidic conditions, which are rare
B
its non-polar C–C and C–H bonds are strong and unreactive, so it is chemically inert
C
it is a condensation polymer, so the links between its monomers cannot be broken
D
it contains C=C double bonds that make its chains resistant to attack by bacteria
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Answer: B. Poly(alkenes) are saturated chains of strong, non-polar bonds with no functional groups for water, acids, bases or enzymes to attack. They contain no ester links and no C=C bonds.
4. A section of a polymer chain is –CH2–CH(C6H5)–CH2–CH(C6H5)–. Which monomer and type of polymerisation produced it?
A
C6H5CH2CH3, addition
B
C6H5CH=CH2, addition
C
C6H5CH2CH2OH, condensation
D
C6H5CH=CH2, condensation
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Answer: B. The backbone is all carbon with the repeat –CH2–CH(C6H5)–, so it came from phenylethene by addition. Ethylbenzene has no C=C to open.
5. Which pair of compounds would not form a polymer when mixed under suitable conditions?
A
ethane-1,2-diol and butanedioyl chloride
B
hexane-1,6-diamine and hexanedioyl chloride
C
ethane-1,2-diol and ethanoyl chloride
D
propane-1,3-diol and benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid
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Answer: C. Ethanoyl chloride has only one –COCl group, so each molecule caps an –OH group and the chain cannot grow: the product is a small diester. Each of the other pairs is bifunctional on both sides.
6. Nylon-6,6 is heated with concentrated hydrochloric acid until it is fully hydrolysed. What are the products?
A
hexanedioate ions and hexane-1,6-diamine
B
hexane-1,6-diol and hexanedioic acid
C
hexanedioic acid and H3N+(CH2)6NH3+ ions
D
hexanedioyl chloride and hexane-1,6-diamine
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Answer: C. Acid hydrolysis breaks the amide links. In acid the carboxylic acid groups stay as –COOH and the amine groups are protonated. Carboxylate ions and the free diamine form in alkaline hydrolysis.
7. The repeat unit of the polyester made from ethane-1,2-diol and benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid is C10H8O4 (Mr 192). How many moles of NaOH are needed to hydrolyse 1.92 g of this polymer completely?
A
0.0100
B
0.0200
C
0.0400
D
0.00500
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Answer: B. 1.92 ÷ 192 = 0.0100 mol of repeat units. Each repeat unit contains two ester links, and each link uses one OH− to form a carboxylate ion, so 0.0200 mol of NaOH is needed.
8. Poly(propene) is widely used for food containers. Which property makes it useful for this purpose but also makes it a problem as waste?
A
It is chemically unreactive.
B
It dissolves slowly in water.
C
It is easily hydrolysed by acids.
D
It decomposes in sunlight within a few days.
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Answer: A. Poly(propene) does not react with food, water, acids or alkalis, which is good in use, but the same inertness means microorganisms and chemicals in the environment hardly break it down.
9. Which monomer forms a polymer by addition polymerisation?
A
HOCH2CH2COOH
B
CH2=CHCN
C
H2N(CH2)5COOH
D
HOCH2CH2OH
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Answer: B. Addition polymerisation needs a C=C double bond. The hydroxy acid and the amino acid can each form condensation polymers on their own; a diol alone cannot form a polymer.
10. Which single compound can form a condensation polymer without a second monomer?
A
CH2=CHCOOH
B
HOCH2CH2OH
C
HOCH2CH2COOH
D
CH3CH2COOH
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Answer: C. A monomer that can condense with itself needs two different reactive groups that react with each other, such as –OH and –COOH. A diol needs a diacid partner, and propanoic acid has only one functional group.
72, each with the answer and a short explanation, across 3 topics: Condensation polymerisation, Predicting the type of polymerisation, Degradable polymers. Every chapter test draws ten of them, so you can take it many times.
Is the A Level Chemistry (A2) chapter 13 test free?
Yes. The test, the answers and the explanations are free and need no sign-up. Sign in only if you want your scores kept across devices.
How is the chapter test marked?
The moment you press Finish: your score, the right answer and an explanation for every question, and the ones you got wrong saved in My mistakes to retry.
