Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9–1) · CHEMISTRY · Section
Disposal of addition polymers
21 practice questions
Practice questions
1–10 of 21
Question 1
1 mark · Easy
Answer and see the solution →State why addition polymers such as poly(ethene) are considered non-biodegradable.
Question 2
3 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →(a)[1 mark]State one reason why addition polymers remain in landfill sites for many years.
(b)[1 mark]Name one environmental problem that can result from the accumulation of waste addition polymers.
(c)[1 mark]Give one advantage of recycling addition polymers instead of disposing of them in landfill.
Question 3
2 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →A country produces 1,500,000 tonnes of plastic waste each year. If 60% of it is made of addition polymers, calculate the mass of addition polymer waste produced per year. Give your answer in tonnes.
Question 4
2 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →Explain why burying addition polymers in landfill sites is not a sustainable solution for managing plastic waste.
Question 5
3 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →The table shows waste disposal methods for plastics in three cities.
City Landfill (%) Incineration (%) Recycling (%) A 60 10 30 B 40 35 25 C 25 20 55 (a)[1 mark]Which city recycles the largest proportion of its plastic waste?
(b)[1 mark]Name the city with the highest proportion of plastic waste sent to landfill.
(c)[1 mark]State one environmental advantage of recycling plastics instead of incinerating them.
Question 6
1 mark · Easy
Answer and see the solution →Name one feature of addition polymers that makes them persist in the environment for a long time.
Question 7
3 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →(a)[1 mark]Describe what is meant by the term 'biodegradability'.
(b)[1 mark]Explain why addition polymers like poly(chloroethene) are not biodegradable.
(c)[1 mark]Suggest one way to reduce the environmental impact of waste addition polymers.
Question 8
2 marks · Easy
Answer and see the solution →A city sends 400,000 tonnes of plastic to landfill every year. If 85% of this is addition polymer, calculate the mass of addition polymer sent to landfill each year. Give your answer to the nearest tonne.
Question 9
2 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →State two reasons why addition polymers, such as poly(ethene), create problems for disposal in the environment.
Question 10
4 marks · Normal
Answer and see the solution →(a)[1 mark]Explain what is meant by the term 'non-biodegradable' in the context of addition polymers.
(b)[2 marks]Describe two different methods used for disposing of waste addition polymers.
(c)[1 mark]For one of the methods you described in (b), give one environmental problem it can cause.