
Polymer - Wikipedia
Polymers range from familiar synthetic plastics such as polystyrene to natural biopolymers such as DNA and proteins that are fundamental to biological structure and function. Polymers, both natural and …
Polymer | Description, Examples, Types, Material, Uses, & Facts ...
Dec 1, 2025 · A polymer is any of a class of natural or synthetic substances composed of very large molecules, called macromolecules, which are multiples of simpler chemical units called monomers.
Lesson Explainer: Polymerization - Nagwa
Dec 21, 2025 · A polymer is a chemical that can be made by joining together lots of individual units. We group chemicals that share this property together because they have lots of characteristics in common.
Polymers - GitHub Pages
A polymer is an example of a macromolecule, the name given to a large molecule. Simple polymers are named after their monomers; the ethylene polymer is formally called poly (ethylene), although in …
28. Polymers: Structure & Composition - MIT OpenCourseWare
Polymers are long chain macromolecules built from repeated smaller chemical structures or ‘ -mers.’. They are found widely in the natural world (e.g. proteins, rubber, cellulose) and, increasingly the past …
What are polymers? - International Union of Pure and Applied …
Polymers are substances composed of macromolecules, very large molecules with molecular weights ranging from a few thousand to as high as millions of grams/mole.
What's a polymer? - HowStuffWorks
Jun 9, 2023 · The simplest definition of a polymer is long chain formed by joining many smaller molecules, called monomers [source: Larsen]. While a paper chain presents a simple image of a …
Polymers: an overview
Polymers are large molecules, a type of macromolecule. Their chemical properties are similar to those of simple molecules. For example, if the polymer contains a carbon-carbon double bond, as in poly (but …
31.7 Polymer Structure and Physical Properties – Organic Chemistry: A ...
In general, polymers can be divided into four major categories, depending on their physical behavior: thermoplastics, fibers, elastomers, and thermosetting resins. Thermoplastics are the polymers most …
Polymers | Encyclopedia.com
May 17, 2018 · Polymers are large molecules composed of repeated chemical units. The smallest repeating unit is called a mer. The term polymer is derived from the Greek words poly and mers …