No need to tread lightly on this piece of tire rubber! Polymer science pupils observe the behavior of rubber with an interesting interactive. Users apply three different levels of force to a sample, then watch how they affect the polymer chains.

Concepts

rubber, polymers, force, making observations, properties of matter

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Pair the resource with a similar interactive that explores the effects of force on plastics, found here
• Have students theorize what the function of the green atoms in the sample of rubber might be

Classroom Considerations

• Provide additional information regarding the composition of tire rubber before using the interactive
• Learners should be comfortable with simple polymer concepts

Pros

• The simulation provides an opportunity to examine rubber materials at the atomic level
• Contains a variety of control options, such as pause and rewind, to help with pacing

Cons

• None