What term describes a very long molecule formed by covalently bonding many monomers?

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

Answer: (D)

A very long molecule formed by covalently bonding many repeating units is a polymer. The idea is that a polymer is built from many identical or similar repeating units (monomers) linked together in a chain, giving it a large size and high molecular weight. The term emphasizes the extensive length and repeating structure.

A monomer is just a single unit that can join with others to make bigger molecules. A dimer is two units linked together, and an oligomer is a short chain consisting of a few units. So, while a monomer, dimer, or oligomer describes smaller assemblies, the word polymer captures the idea of a long, extensive chain formed from many monomers.