Work through the list without notes. If you cannot do a statement, follow its link, then come back. Guide = study guide; Practice = practice questions.
Understanding
- I can define monomer, polymer and polymerization, and say which groups of macromolecules are polymers and why lipids are the exception. (Guide: “Big molecules from small parts”)
- I can describe dehydration synthesis: which monomer loses H, which loses –OH, what forms and what is released. (Guide: “Dehydration synthesis”; Practice Q1)
- I can describe hydrolysis, including where the H and the –OH from water end up. (Guide: “Hydrolysis”; Practice Q4)
- I can classify a biological event, such as digestion or glycogen storage, as hydrolysis or dehydration synthesis. (Guide: “Comparing the two reactions”; Practice Q3)
- I can explain why the links between monomers are covalent bonds, not hydrogen bonds. (Guide: “Common misconceptions”)
Calculation and skills
- I can use the n − 1 rule to count bonds and water molecules in a straight or branched chain. (Guide: Figure 2, Worked example 1; Practice Q2)
- I can calculate the mass of a polymer, or the number of monomers in it, from molar masses. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q5)
- I can calculate a rate and a percentage from hydrolysis data. (Practice Q6)
- I can describe a diagram of these reactions: its direction, where the water is and how many bonds change. (Guide: “Reading diagrams of these reactions”, Figure 1; Practice Q4)
Reasoning
- I can track a labelled atom through dehydration synthesis or hydrolysis and say where it ends up. (Guide: Worked example 2)
- I can explain the role of control tubes in an enzyme hydrolysis experiment. (Practice Q6)
- I can use a mass balance to explain why the products of hydrolysis weigh more than the polymer, without claiming mass is created. (Practice Q5, Q7)
All ticked? Move on to Topic 1.4, Carbohydrates, or return to the course roadmap.