Which term refers to a plastic that can be heated and reformed into a new shape repeatedly?

• A. Thermoplastic
• B. Thermosetting plastic
• C. Volume
• D. Twisting

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that some plastics can be heated and reshaped over and over again. These are thermoplastics. When heated, thermoplastics soften and melt, allowing you to reform them into a new shape. Once they cool, they harden again, preserving the new form. This process can be repeated many times because the polymer chains don’t form permanent chemical bonds during shaping; they flow under heat and solidify when cooled.

In contrast, thermosetting plastics undergo an irreversible curing reaction that creates a rigid, cross-linked network. After curing, heating doesn’t soften and reshape them; it can cause degradation instead, so they can’t be reformed a second time.

So, the term for a plastic that can be heated and reformed into a new shape repeatedly is thermoplastic. Examples include polyethylene and polystyrene, while epoxies and Bakelite are thermosetting plastics.