A jump rope is made from two hollow hard plastic handles that are attached to each end of a highly elastic cord. Two boys, instead of using the rope for jumping, decide to use it for a "tug-of-war." Each boy pulls on an end of the rope. One boy lets go of his handle; the other boy holds his end and is almost immediately struck by the released handle.

In contrast, an old-fashioned jump rope has wooden handles and a cotton rope. The cotton-rope, when tensioned, stores only a small amount of energy so that if one of the wooden handles were released (as in the "tug-of-war" example), the released handle would fall harmlessly to the ground.

Determine the properties of a cotton rope of the type used in an old-fashioned jump rope, especially the strength and the "elasticity." Also, select a material (like an elastomer) that could be used as a safe replacement for a cotton rope. Provide the name of the material and list its properties.