Which term best describes a complete set of long chains formed from monomer units?

• A. Monomer
• B. Oligomer
• C. Polymer
• D. Copolymer

Answer: (C)

A polymer is the large molecule formed when many repeating monomer units link together into long chains, so it describes the complete set of those long chains produced from monomers. A monomer is the single building block that can join with others to make polymers, while an oligomer is a shorter chain made of only a few repeating units and doesn’t exhibit the full properties of a polymer. A copolymer is a type of polymer that is built from more than one kind of monomer in the same chain. In nail technology, the solid layer you get from mixing liquid monomer with polymer powder is a polymer, representing those long-chain molecules that provide strength and durability.