ABSTRACT
The remarkable properties of polymers derive from their size. As pointed out in Chapter 1, it is not
the high molecular weight per se that gives polymers mechanical strength, flexibility, elasticity,
etc., but rather their large spatial extent. In this chapter, we will learn how to describe the three-
dimensional shape of polymers in an average sense, and how the average size of the object in space
will depend on molecular weight. We will also explore the equilibrium distribution of sizes.
