The water molecules will not form a polymer chain.
Polymer chains are large molecules, or macromolecules, made up of many monomers that are linked together. A monomer is a single unit of a molecule, for example amino acids and nucleotides. Mono means one and poly means many, meaning there are many monomers in a chain. To make a polymer chain, or polymer, the monomers that are linked together can be identical or similar.
When the term poly is used to describe a polymer chain, it refers to a large number of monomers. There can be thousands or even millions of monomers in a single polymer. Not all molecules can join together to form chains. Water is an example of a monomer that does not join together to form a chain, even when there are many water molecules.
Several different characteristics of a polymer chain determine how the polymer behaves as a molecule and also how it interacts with other molecules. The first feature used to group chains is the type of monomers that form the backbone of the polymer. If a polymer chain is made up of only one type of repeating monomer, it is called a homopolymer, and if it contains different subunits, it is called a copolymer. The name of each chain is often derived from the structure of the monomer, for example, DNA is a polynucleotide.
When polymers are formed, they can have a linear or branched structure. Linear chains have the simplest structure, as they are only made up of a long chain of linked monomers without any branches. A ring polymer is a special type of linear polymer in which the backbone does not have branches but instead forms a ring rather than having a discrete beginning and end. Branched chains have a backbone with branching side chains. These types of polymer chains can be quite complex and include structures such as ladders, dendrons, and star polymers.
Backbone length is an integral characteristic that determines the physical properties of a polymer chain. The length, or the number of monomers, affects several different physical properties of the polymer. As chain length increases, melting and boiling temperatures increase, viscosity increases, and mobility decreases. There is also a greater probability of interactions within the molecules of the chain as it increases in length. These changes result in a chain that is stronger, less likely to warp or break, and better able to hold its position.
The different characteristics and physical properties of polymer chains is what makes them so interesting, especially for industrial uses. There are many common examples of natural and industrially produced polymer chains. Natural polymers include DNA and RNA, silk, starch, cellulose, and rubber. Common industrially produced polymers include polyester, nylon, and the many types of plastic that exist.