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DSE Chemistry: Materials Chemistry (Elective) — Practice Questions & Answers
How structure determines properties, the chemistry of polymers and plastics, the special behaviour of nanomaterials, and the design and selection of materials.
336 practice questions available for this topic — here are 10 with full answers and explanations.
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Practice questions with answers
1
Multiple choice · Easy
Kevlar and nylon-6,6 are both examples of
polyamides
polyesters
addition polymers
polyalkenes
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Why Both are polyamides, joined by amide (peptide) linkages.
2
Multiple choice · Medium
The type of reaction that forms Kevlar from its two monomers is
condensation polymerisation
addition polymerisation
free-radical substitution
neutralisation
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Why Polyamides form by condensation polymerisation, releasing small molecules such as water.
3
Multiple choice · Hard
Kevlar is made from a diamine and a benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid (or its dichloride). The two functional groups that react to form the amide link are
an amine group and a carboxylic acid group
two amine groups
two carbon-carbon double bonds
an alcohol group and an amine group
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Why An amine (-NH2) and a carboxylic acid (-COOH) react to form the -CONH- amide link.
4
Fill in the blank · Easy
The linkage joining the monomer units in nylon-6,6 and Kevlar is the
Check answer
Answer:
amide / peptide
Why Amide linkage.
5
Fill in the blank · Medium
In a condensation polymerisation forming a polyamide, the small molecule eliminated is usually
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Answer:
water / H2O / hydrogen chloride / HCl
Why Water (or HCl if an acid chloride is used).
6
Fill in the blank · Hard
Nylon-6,6 is made from a
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Answer:
diamine / diamine monomer
Why Diamine.
7
Multiple choice · Medium
How many atoms are there in one body-centred cubic (bcc) unit cell?
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Why 8 corner atoms x 1/8 + 1 body-centre atom = 2 atoms per bcc unit cell.
8
Multiple choice · Medium
In a body-centred cubic unit cell, each corner atom is shared between how many neighbouring unit cells?
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Why Each corner atom is shared among 8 unit cells, contributing 1/8 to each.
9
Multiple choice · Hard
For a bcc unit cell, the contribution of the atom at the body centre to that cell is
1 (it belongs entirely to that cell)
1/2
1/8
1/4
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Why The body-centre atom lies wholly inside one cell, contributing 1.
10
Fill in the blank · Medium
A body-centred cubic unit cell contains
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Answer:
2 / two
Why 2 atoms.
Key terms in Materials Chemistry (Elective)
Material: A substance chosen for a particular use based on its physical and chemical properties.
Plastic: A synthetic polymer that can be moulded into shape, made from many repeating monomer units.
Polymer: A large molecule built from many repeating monomer units joined by covalent bonds.
Monomer: A small molecule that joins with many others to form a polymer.
Addition polymerisation: The joining of unsaturated monomers to form a polymer with no loss of atoms.
Condensation polymerisation: The joining of monomers to form a polymer with the loss of a small molecule.
Thermoplastic: A polymer that softens on heating and can be remoulded repeatedly.
Thermosetting plastic: A cross-linked polymer that sets hard on heating and cannot be remoulded.
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