The molecular weight of a polymer has a significant impact on its physical properties, including tensile strength and elasticity. Tensile strength refers to the maximum stress a material can withstand while being stretched or pulled before breaking, while elasticity is the ability of a material to return to its original shape after being deformed.1. Molecular weight and tensile strength: As the molecular weight of a polymer increases, the tensile strength generally increases as well. This is because higher molecular weight polymers have longer polymer chains, which results in more entanglements and stronger intermolecular forces such as van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonding between the chains. These interactions make it more difficult for the chains to slide past one another when subjected to stress, resulting in increased resistance to deformation and breakage. Therefore, a higher molecular weight polymer will typically exhibit greater tensile strength.2. Molecular weight and elasticity: The elasticity of a polymer is also influenced by its molecular weight. Polymers with higher molecular weights tend to have greater elasticity due to the increased number of entanglements and stronger intermolecular forces between the longer chains. These factors make it more difficult for the chains to move and disentangle when deformed, allowing the material to recover its original shape more effectively when the stress is removed. Additionally, higher molecular weight polymers often have a broader molecular weight distribution, which can contribute to improved elasticity as the different chain lengths can accommodate various degrees of deformation.It is important to note that other factors, such as the polymer's chemical structure, degree of crystallinity, and processing conditions, can also significantly influence its physical properties. However, in general, an increase in molecular weight will lead to improvements in both tensile strength and elasticity for most polymers.