ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Bakelite

Bakelite is a type of plastic that was invented a really long time ago, about 100 years ago! When you touch it, it might feel a little bit heavy and hard, like a toy or a button. Bakelite was very famous back then because it was one of the first plastics that could be made really strong and tough. It was used for lots and lots of different things like buttons on clothes, toys, and even telephones!

What makes bakelite so special is the way it's made. It's made when scientists mix together a few different chemicals and heat them up. When the chemicals get really hot, they start to change and stick together to make bakelite. Once it's cooled down, it's like a super hard and strong rock that can be made into all sorts of shapes.

Bakelite was really popular for a long time but over the years, newer and better plastics have been invented that do the same job and are safer and easier to make. Even though bakelite isn't used as much today, it's still really cool to think about how people used to use it for so many different things.
Related topics others have asked about: