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Sections of the primary structure of nylon and the primary structure of a protein are shown below - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 3 - 2012 - Paper 1
Question 3
Sections of the primary structure of nylon and the primary structure of a protein are shown below. Nylon is composed of two monomers. The structure of one of the mo... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Sections of the primary structure of nylon and the primary structure of a protein are shown below - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 3 - 2012 - Paper 1
Step 1
Draw the structure of the other monomer.
Answer
The other monomer of nylon can be constructed by mirroring the structure provided for the first monomer. It should contain an amide functional group, with the general formula of an amide being R-C(=O)-N-R'.
The correct structure is:
O
||
N - (CH2)6 - C
| ||
H O
\
C
|
(CH2)4 - CO
|
H
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Explain why the functional groups that link the monomers in protein are oriented differently from the functional groups that link the monomers in nylon.
Answer
In proteins, the amino (NH2) and carboxyl (COOH) groups of the amino acids that link together form the peptide bond in a head-to-tail fashion, both oriented in the same direction. In contrast, the monomers in nylon link through the amide bond, which can have opposing orientations due to the structural arrangement allowed by the polymerization process. Therefore, nylon can exhibit this opposing linkage due to its repeating units, whereas proteins maintain a consistent directional bonding due to the specific alignment of their functional groups.
Step 5
Draw a section of the polymer showing at least two units of the monomer.
Answer
To illustrate a section of the polymethyl methacrylate (Perspex) polymer, you can show the vinyl units joined together:
H2C=C(OC(=O)C(CH3)2)
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H2C H2C
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C -- C
/
H2C H2C
| |
CH3 CH3
This represents at least two units joined through their functional groups.