To begin, polymers may be defined as substances that have repeating units and
high molecular weight. Polymerization is the joining together of many small
molecules to form very large ones with these repeating units.
A polymer is a giant molecule made up of a large number of repeating units
joined together by covalent bonds. The simple compounds from which polymers are made are called monomers. The word polymer is derived from the Greek words poly (many) and meros (parts).
Polymer molecules have molecular weight in the range of several thousands or
more, and therefore, are also referred to as macro molecules.
The number of repeating units in the polystyrene structure is indicated by the
index n. This is known as the degree of polymerization (DP). It specifies the length of the polymer chain. Oligomer is a very low molecular weight polymer usually with less than 10 repeating units. The word oligomer is derived from the Greek word oligos meaning a few. Oligomers exhibit different thermal and mechanical properties compared to the corresponding high-molecular weight polymer. 7. Organic or inorganic polymers
Organic polymers:are polymers with a skeletal structure that