CAIE A Level Chemistry 9701 · Polymerisation
Amino acids such as can polymerise to form polyamides. Hydroxycarboxylic acids such as can polymerise to form polyesters.
Compare the formation of a polyamide from amino acids with the formation of a polyester from hydroxycarboxylic acids. In your answer, refer to the functional groups involved, the type of polymerisation, the small molecule eliminated, and the linkage formed.
5 marks, so the mark scheme is looking for about 5 separate creditworthy points. Making the same point twice in different words earns it once.
Compare means: Give similarities or differences between two things, and say which side each point belongs to. Write each point as a pair, for example: A is X, whereas B is Y. Two separate descriptions rarely earn the marks.
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