Sports
Polymers in Athletic Equipment
Quick fact
The first synthetic polymer used in sports equipment was vulcanized rubber for tennis balls in the 1850s, but today polymers like Kevlar and carbon-fiber composites are used in everything from kayaks to prosthetic limbs.
Why this is interesting
Your running shoes' bouncy sole and your bike helmet's hard outer shell are both made from polymers. How can the same class of materials be both soft and hard?