Behind+the+Reaction

The reaction is a chemical reaction.

Catalyst **-** A substance, usually used in small amounts relative to the reactants, that modifies and increases the rate of a reaction without being consumed in the process.

Monomer - A molecule that can combine with others to form a polymer

Borax, also known as **sodium borate**, **sodium tetrabromate**, or **disodium tetrabromate** is an important boron compound, a mineral, and a salt of boric acid. It is usually a white powder consisting of soft colourless crystals that dissolve easily in water. Borax has a wide variety of uses. It is a component of many detergents, cosmetics and enamel glazes. It is also used to make buffer solutions in biochemistry, as a fire retardant, as an anti fungal compound for fibreglass, as an insecticide, as a flux in metallurgy, a texturing agent in cooking, and as a precursor for other boron compounds.

A chemical reaction is a process that leads to the transformation of one set of chemical substances to another. Chemical reactions can be either spontaneous, requiring no input of energy or non-spontaneous, often coming about only after the input of some type of energy, viz. Heat, light or electricity.

A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units typically connected by covalent chemical bonds. While //polymer// in popular usage suggests plastic, the term actually refers to a large class of natural and synthetic materials with a wide variety of properties. Polymers are composed of many individual units called monomers. These monomers are linked together with chemical bonds to form long chains. The word polymer comes from the Greek words poly: "many" and meros: "parts". Polymers are composed of many individual units called monomers. These monomers are linked together with chemical bonds to form long chains. A typical polymer is made of 1,000 to 10,000 monomers linked together. Elmer’s glue has a chemical in it called polyvinyl acetate. This is a very long and flexible molecule. Borax solution has a chemical in it called boron. When the borax solution is added to the glue solution, the boron atoms help link the long polyvinyl acetate molecules to each other so they cannot move and flow as easily. When enough polyvinyl acetate molecules get hooked together in the right way, the glue solution changes from being very liquidy to a rubbery kind of stuff! Principles:
 * //White glue is a water-soluble polymer. Borax is a cross-linker.//**

-Polymers are stretchable, pliable, and flexible (not brittle, hard, or rigid) -When cross-links are formed in a polymer, its chains of molecules are connected in several places, production a stronger and more elastic polymer -The elasticity of some polymers is affected by temperature.

Facts:

-Some polymers occur naturally, as in the juice of rubber or aloe plants, and some are manmade. -Polymers tend to be dense, strong, and flexible. Examples are plastic bottles, styrofoams, latex paints, and chewing gum. A closer look: Flubber is a polymer made by a chemical reaction. Polymers are very long chains of repeating units. When the two solutions are combined, polyvinyl accetate chains (a polymer from the white glue) are linked together in a 3 dimensional arrangement by borate ions ( from the Borax) and other chemical bonds. This produces the thick, sticky polymer called Flubber.

The name flubber came from the words flying and rubber.