Condensation Polymerization
These are the molecules that make up Nylon™, a synthetic fiber that's made into pantyhose, winter jackets, and toothbrush bristles. To make nylon you need to join thousands of nylon molecules together in a long chain, called a polymer. Plastic engineers use heat to force the molecules together. In the case of the example above, the heat causes one molecule to give up an oxygen atom (blue ball) and hydrogen atom (white ball). The heat forces the second molecule to give up a hydrogen atom. While the big molecules connect, the castoffs join to form a molecule of water (H2O). That's where the “condensation” part comes from.

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