In science we had a great time experimenting with polymers.  A polymer is a long chain of hundreds or thousands of tiny molecules. A polymer  can act like a solid or a liquid depending on how it is handled. There are lots and lots of polymers in our world. Some are natural and some are made by humans, or synthetic. Here are a few examples of polymers:

•                 Plastic is one of the most common polymers. There are lots of different types of plastics that have very different properties - some plastics are flexible and can be bent (like a plastic bag or a toothpaste tube) and some are very solid and would split or crack if you tried to bend them (like a plastic plate or a CD).

•                Fabric such as rayon, nylon, and polyester that are used for making clothes such as shirts, sweaters, and socks.

•                Natural polymers - one of the most important natural polymers is DNA, the protein in your cells that makes you who you are! Some other things that come from naturally-occurring polymers are cotton, silk, rubber, paper, and leather. Rubber comes from a natural source - a plant! Before it can be used though, it has to be processed.

Our polymers consisted of Elmer's glue, Boraxo  hand soap, and water.

The directions.

The materials.

The chemical reaction starts. 

A polymer "rubber" ball.