DPS MODERN INDIAN SCHOOL, DOHA,

CLASS VIII SUBJECT: CHEMISTRY

Synthetic Fibres and Plastics
Prepared by: Ms. Niya Jacob

Q1 How do you classify fibres? Explain giving examples.

Ans. Fibres are classified into two main categories -Natural and
Synthetic.
Natural fibres are obtained from natural sources such as plants and
animals. Ex. Cotton, Jute.
Synthetic fibres are man-made fibres. Ex. Nylon, Polyester.

Q2 What are synthetic fibers? How are they prepared? Give 2

examples.
Ans. Synthetic Fibres- Man- made fibres produced from chemical
substances
They are prepared in factories or laboratories from the by-
products of petroleum. Eg. Nylon, Rayon
Q3.
Ans What are the raw materials used to manufacture synthetic fibres?
Raw materials-Products of petroleum
Q4. Define
Ans. a) Monomer - Small individual units that join to form a large unit in
polymerization.

b) Polymer- Large molecule formed by the union of monomers in

polymerization.
Q5.
Ans. Why Rayon is called a semi- synthetic fibre?
Because it is made from cellulose obtained from wood pulp.
Q6.
What is polymerisation? Explain the 2 types of polymerisation
 with the help of a diagram.

Ans Polymerisation- The process of combining small monomers to form

large polymer is called polymerization.

n monomer units Polymerisation Polymer

Eg:
n Ethylene units Polymerisation Polyethylene

The two types of polymerisation are

Q7.
Ans.

Q8.

Ans.
Why Rayon is also called artificial silk?
It is called artificial silk because of its close resemblance to silk in
Q9. appearance, texture, shine.
Which fibre is used to make ropes for mountain climbing and
Ans. parachutes? Why?
Nylon because of high tensile strength and good frictional
resistance.

Write any 3 properties and uses of Rayon, Nylon, Polyester and

Acrylic.
Rayon
Properties-
 a) It blends well with other fibres, particularly woven ones.
b) It absorbs moisture and is comfortable to wear
c) It can be easily dyed in vivid colors.
Uses- Jackets, tires, furniture

Nylon
Properties-
a) Do not absorb water easily and dries quickly
b)It is easy to dye
c)Fabrics made of nylon do not crease easily
Uses- Toothbrush bristles, carpets, socks

Polyester
Properties-
a) Strong and durable
b)Wrinkle resistant
c)Highly flammable
Uses- Clothes, making PET bottles because it is durable
Q10. Making ropes because of high tensile strength(resistance of a
Ans. material to break under force)

Acrylic
Q11. Properties-
a) Easy to wash
Ans. b)Durable, warm to wear and retains their shape
c) Strong and wrinkle resistant, resistant to moth, oils, chemicals,
deterioration on exposure to sunlight.
Uses- Carpets, socks, sportswear, blankets
Q12.
How is polyester made?
Ans. Polyester is a synthetic fiber derived from coal, air, water, and
petroleum.

Hitesh wants to learn swimming. He bought swimming costume

and a cap. What kind of material should these be made of and
why?
The material used for making swimming costume should be made
of synthetic fibre called spandex or lycra. It is highly elastic in
Q13. nature as it expands and stretches which makes the swimmer
Ans. comfortable to wear.
What are blended fibres? What is the purpose of creating
blended fibres? Give 2 examples
Blended fibres are created when two or more different kinds of
fibres are mixed together to create a new fabric.
We can improve the characteristics that are poor in one fibre, by
blending it with another type of fibre that excels in those
Q14.
characteristics.
Ans. Ex. Terylene and cotton blend, which popularly known as terrycot,
is used for making dress materials
Terylene and wool blend, which popularly known as terrywool.
This is used as a substitute for costly woollen clothes.
Q15. Write 3 advantages and disadvantages of synthetic fibres.

Ans. Advantages
a)They have high tensile strength
b) Do not wrinkle easily
c) They are durable and less expensive than natural fibres
Disadvantages
a) They cannot absorb moisture
b) They catch fire easily
c)They cannot be ironed as they melt very quickly
Fabric manufactures are increasingly developing ’eco-friendly’ or
‘green’ fabrics. Comment.
Yes,This is because, these fabrics do not have any synthetic or non-
decomposable material, which can damage the environment after
Q16. use.
Ans. This promotes " Green fabrics".
Differentiate between thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics

Q17.
Ans.
Q18.
Ans.

Q19.
Ans. What is the full form of PVC and PET? State its uses.
1. PVC- Polyvinylchloride
Uses- making plumbing pipes, concealing electrical lining,
Q20. flooring, upholstery and furniture
Ans.
2. PET- Polyethylene terephthalate
Uses- To make bottles for packing mineral water and
medicines.
What are the properties of plastics?
Q21. Properties of plastics
1. Non-reactive- Do not react with water and air. They are highly
resistant to chemicals.
2. Flammable- They melt and burn easily when they come in contact
Ans. with fire. They are highly flammable so no cooking utensils are
made of plastics.
3. Poor conductor-- They are insulators of heat and electricity.
Handles of screw drivers and frying pans are made of plastics.
4. Light weight, strong and durable- They can be moulded into
different shapes and sizes. They are used to make household
articles.
Q22.

Ans. Write any 3 uses of plastics

a)Used in health care industry for making syringes, packaging of
 tablets
b)Special kind of plastic cookware is used for cooking food in
microwave
c) Teflon used for non- stick coating on cookwares.
Q23. d) PET is used to make bottle for packing mineral water and
medicines
Ans.
Name the thermosetting plastics to make uniforms of firemen.
Why?
The uniforms of firemen has a coating of melamine, a thermosetting
plastic to make them flame resistant.
Q24.
What are biodegradable and non- biodegradable materials?
A material which gets decomposed through natural processes, such
as action by bacteria is called biodegradable materials. Ex. Food
waste, paper waste.
A material which does not gets decomposed through natural
processes is called non-biodegradable materials. Ex. Plastic, tins

Write any 3 problems associated with the excessive use of

plastics.
OR
Polythene bags are commonly used as carry bags but their use
is being discouraged these days. Explain.

a) Burning of plastics releases poisonous gases into the atmosphere

causing air pollution.
b) Plastic bags thrown in the drains are responsible for clogging the
drains.
Q25. c) Plastic bags sometimes eaten by stray animals along with leftover
food result in their death.

State four steps that we can take to protect our environment from
plastic related pollution.
a)Dispose biodegradable and non- biodegradable waste separately
b) Avoid the plastics as much as possible. Carry cotton or jute bags
for shopping.
c) Recycle and reuse the plastic to minimize the plastic waste.
c) Follow and practice the 5 R principle- reduce, reuse, refuse,
recycle and recover to prevent plastic pollution.

How did plastics become the material of choice for so many

varied applications?
 Plastic's light weight, strength, and ability to be molded into
any form makes it an ideal packaging material.
 Rigid plastic keeps fragile items secure and flexible plastic
makes easy-to-carry bags.
 Plastic is used for food and non-food packaging.
 Plastics are economically feasible.
Give reason
a) Biodegradable and non- biodegradable wastes should be
collected separately.
Ans. The biodegradable waste can be decomposed in a natural
manner by the process of composting. Non-biodegradable wastes
can be sent for recycling. If the two wastes are collected in a single
bin, they would mix and may form toxic compounds which can
cause pollution.

b) Polythene bags should not be thrown along with garbage.

Ans. Polythene bags should not be thrown along with garbage as
they are non-biodegradable and can mix with the soil but cannot
decompose.

c) We wear cotton clothes during summer season.

Cotton clothes are light, absorbs sweat and keeps body cool.

d) Synthetic fibres should be avoided in the kitchen.

Ans. As they can catch fire easily.

e) Pressure cooker handle are made of plastics.

They are bad conductor of heat.
Write the monomer and polymer of the following
Monomer Polymer
Amide (Nylon) Polyamide
Ester (Polyester) Polyester
Acrylonitrile(Acrylic) Polyacrylonitrile
Vinyl Chloride Polyvinyl Chloride(PVC)
Ethylene Polyethylene or Polythene
Ethylene Terephthalate Polyethylene
Terephthalate(PET)