Ring Polymers

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Archived resources from this center

Module Description:

This module, provided by the Center for Nanotechnology Education (Nano-Link), includes background information and an activity on ring polymers. This module is a variation of the Cross-Linked Polymers lesson that is available to view separately. "This version uses a form of sodium polyacrylate, the water-absorbing polymer often used in diapers, that has a different atomic structure than that of the cross-linked polymer." The outcome of this module is to introduce students to atomic structure and intermolecular bonds in polymeric materials.

Module Contents:

This module includes a lesson guide, a PowerPoint presentation, and a lesson standards alignment document. The 16-page guide includes background information about polymers, an activity, questions, information about current and future applications, and more. The activity "... allows [students] to observe and measure just how much water can be absorbed by [a] ring polymer." The PowerPoint presentation also includes background information on polymers. The video includes a short demonstration of the activity and runs 01:30 minutes in length.

Versions in Spanish are also included for most of the module documents.

For orientation purposes Ring-Polymers-Module - Nano-Link.pdf is included as a separate attachment and offers a sample of the type of material included in this module.

Below is a list of the files contained within the .zip attachments. The size of each file is included in parenthesis.

Ring Polymers (4 files, 1.9 MB)

Alignment of Ring Polymer Module to NGSS & CCSS (Ring Polymer.pdf 788 KB)
Ring Polymers Lesson Guide (Ring-Polymers-Module - Nano-Link.docx 297 KB)
Ring Polymers Presentation (RingPolymers background Slides - Nano-Link.pptx 765 KB)

Ring Polymers (Spanish) (5 files, 3.9 MB)