Polymers are like long chains made of tiny building blocks. Imagine playing with colorful beads and stringing them together to make a necklace. Each bead represents a small molecule called a "[[monomer]]," and when you link many of these monomers together, you create a polymer. Just like a necklace can be made with different types of beads, polymers can be made with different types of monomers. These long chains of linked monomers form the basis of various materials we use every day, like plastics, rubber, and even some fabrics. The properties of the polymer, like its strength and flexibility, depend on the type of monomers used and how they are connected in the chain.