Chemistry – Organic chemistry - Polymers | e-Consult

Here are two key differences between monomers and polymers:

• Size: Monomers are relatively small molecules, while polymers are very large molecules. The size difference is significant; polymers are typically much larger than their constituent monomers.
• Properties: Monomers generally have different chemical and physical properties compared to polymers. Polymers often exhibit different properties, such as increased strength, flexibility, and resistance to certain chemicals, compared to their monomers. These changes in properties are due to the large size and the way the monomers are linked together. For example, polyethylene (a polymer) is flexible and strong, whereas ethylene (a monomer) is a gas at room temperature.