Thermodynamically, what happens when an elastomeric material like natural rubber is stretched, and w — Polymers Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

Elastomers consist of flexible, randomly coiled macromolecules. Stretching uncoils these chains, forcing them into a highly aligned, less probable state (lower entropy). The retraction is thermodynamically driven by the tendency of the chains to return to their maximum entropy, randomly coiled state.