• Question: What makes substances stretchy?

    Asked by anon-199859 to Sylvia, Sumit, Martin, Kate, Bryony, Aryanne on 4 Mar 2019.
    • Photo: Martin McCoustra

      Martin McCoustra answered on 4 Mar 2019:


      Many stretchy substances are made of long molecules called polymers. These might be natural polymers like latex or wool or man-made materials like polythene. In their relaxed state these long molecules tend to ball up to some extent. So when we stretch the material, we are straightening out the molecules.

    • Photo: Kate McGonagle

      Kate McGonagle answered on 4 Mar 2019:


      Hey, this is such a good question! I had no idea of the answer – thanks for answering Martin!

    • Photo: Sylvia Soldatou

      Sylvia Soldatou answered on 4 Mar 2019:


      I’d say polymers but I would let someone else to answer this!

    • Photo: Bryony Hockin

      Bryony Hockin answered on 5 Mar 2019:


      I think Martin answered this really well, it’s all about polymers!

    • Photo: Sumit Konar

      Sumit Konar answered on 6 Mar 2019:


      Rubber is an example of stretchy substance. It can be found naturally or can be made in the laboratory. Rubber contains polymer polyisoprene (−CH2−C(CH3)=CH−CH2−)n that is composed of thousands of isoprene monomers CH2=C(CH3)−CH=CH2. Polyisoprene strands stick together by forming electrostatic bonds, much like the attraction between opposite poles of two bar magnets. The attraction between these strands holds the rubber fibers together and allows them to stretch and to recover.

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