Question

How are polymers named?

Answer 1

Polymer is generally a combination of two words known as poly and mer where poly means many and mer refers with parts i.e. many parts as polymers are made up with repeating units of monomers where monomer is a single part of any unit.

Complete step-by-step answer: Most of the polymers are organic compounds which define these are made up from carbon containing monomers. For naming the polymer we first have to name the monomer so to name a monomer first count the number of carbon atoms in the compound and one carbon atom is written as meth, two carbon atoms written as eth so on and after that add-on syllables which indicate single or double bond after that go for naming of functional groups and then see the number of function groups attached. Numbering indicated in the name is known as locants which indicates the carbon atom where the group is attached.
To name an additional polymer which has only one monomer we insert the name of the monomer in parentheses after the prefix used poly. Some polymers can also be named according to their structure and in this case it is named on the basis of a constitutional repeating unit and to find the constitutional repeating unit we have to break the polymer in smallest repeating units.
Hence in this way polymers can be named.

Note: Polymers are formed by the process of polymerization. It is the process in which small monomers are joined together through the process of addition polymerization and there are many industrial and other uses of polymers.