Making and Modeling Polymers Kit

SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS / PROCESSES

• A substance has characteristic properties
• Substances react chemically in characteristic ways with other substances to form new substances with different chemical properties
• Substances are often placed in categories or groups if they react or behave in similar ways
• Engineers design specific chemicals to be used in a variety of ways
• Models can be used to understand and explain scientific phenomena

Every day, students use numerous products made of plastic. This kit introduces the structures and properties of the polymer molecules that make up all plastics.

Students first investigate the properties of the linear polymer found in white glue, and then add a cross-linker to explore the properties of the resulting cross-linked polymer. They then use paper clip models to investigate the molecular structures of monomers, polymers, and cross-linked polymers, and explore how their structural differences alter the properties of the molecules.

Contents List

• 32 Student Worksheets and Guides
• 32 Data Charts: Some Common plastics and Synthetic Fibers
• 1 Teachers Guide with MSDS
• 2 120-mL bottles of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)
• 2 30-rnL bottles of 4% sodium borate solution
• 1 15-mL bottle of blue food coloring
• 16 3.25-oz. clear plastic cups
• 16 stir sticks
• 32 graduated cups
• 384 paper clips (all the same size)
• 48 colored paperclips
• 8 60-mL wide-mouth bottles.