From DNA to Silly Putty, the diverse world of polymers - Jan Mattingly
353,998 Views
14,256 Questions Answered
Let’s Begin…
You are made of polymers, and so are trees and telephones and toys. A
polymer is a long chain of identical molecules (or monomers) with a
range of useful properties, like toughness or stretchiness --
and it turns out, we just can't live without them. Polymers occur both
naturally -- our DNA is a polymer -- and synthetically, like plastic,
Silly Putty and styrofoam. Jan
Mattingly explains how polymers have changed our world.
Slime, gak and oobleck are a few slimey favorites. Do you remember the first time you played with slime? Can you explain the difference between a Newtonian Fluid versus a Non Newtonian Fluid?
Sign in to answer questionAbout TED-Ed Animations
TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »
Meet The Creators
- Educator Jan Mattingly
- Producer TED-Ed
- Director Franz Palomares
- Animation Artist Godfrey Hibbert
- Narrator Michelle Snow