ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Polymer physics

Polymer physics is the study of the physical behavior of long, stringy molecules called polymers. Polymers are made up of lots of smaller molecules called monomers, which are held together by some kind of link. Polymers can look like silly putty, rubber, bubblegum, or even fabric. Understanding how these molecules behave when they interact with each other can help scientists create things like new plastics and new medicines.