The most simple definition of a polymer is something made of many units. Think of a polymer as a chain. Polymerization can be demonstrated by linking countless strips of construction paper together to make paper garlands or hooking together hundreds of paper clips to form chains, or by a string of beads. The Structure of Polymers Many common classes of polymers are composed of hydrocarbons. These polymers are specifically made of small units bonded into long chains.
Carbon makes up the backbone of the molecule and hydrogen atoms are bonded along the backbone.
Below is a diagram of polyethylene, the simplest polymer structure. There are polymers that contain only carbon and hydrogen. Polypropylene, polybutylene, polystyrene, and polymethylpentene are examples of these. Even though the basic makeup of many polymers is carbon and hydrogen, other elements can also be involved. Oxygen, chorine, fluorine, nitrogen, silicon, phosphorous, and sulfur are other elements that are found in the molecular makeup of polymers.