THE STUDY OF USING WEIGHTS TO SEE IF DRY PAPER TOWELS ARE STRONGER THAN WET PAPER TOWELS Shane

Hoffman, Aaron Rothrock, and Jason Hallman Cary Academy

ABSTRACT The purpose of this experiment was to find out if a paper was stronger when it is dry than when it is wet. Because paper towels are loosely woven and they have patterns on them, they can be used for many kitchen chores. In this experiment, weights were put on wet and dry paper towels until the paper towel ripped. The one that held the most weights was the strongest. The results determined that dry was stronger than wet. That was not surprising because when the paper towels soaks up the water, the water goes inside of the paper towel and loosens it. Thats probably why the dry paper towel cant hold as much weights as the dry paper towel.

INTRODUCTION Gravity is an awesome force which makes things stay on the earth and not just be flying in the air. It also makes the water run downhill and is universally attractive. That means that it pulls two things together. For example, it pulls us to the floor, but it also pulls great big things down, like tall huge buildings. It fulfills constant acceleration on all objects. For example, if two balls were two go down a ramp at the same time, they would both end the ramp at the same time. It is the force of attraction that makes object stay on the ground and not just hovering above the floor. Paper towels are made of paper and they are very lightly woven, yet paper towels complete many kitchen chores, such as cleaning spills, drying hands, etc. Also, if paper towels get wet, paper towels can do even more chores like cleaning dust off of tables, glass, etc. This amazing thing, the paper towel, works all on strength. Paper towels are

lightly woven so that the water can go through them, but paper towels have to be strong to hold up water. There are lots of ways that make paper towels stronger. One of them is imprinting little patterns on them, like squares or diamonds. Putting a type of cellulose in the fibers maximizes absorption, which then depends on the other ways the paper towels become stronger. The paper, that the paper towels are made of, is made out of virgin or recycled paper pulps. Why, without these virgin or recycled paper pulps paper towels couldnt be made! Sadly, after one time of use with a paper towel, the virgin and recycled paper pulps, that make the paper towel have to be thrown away. But, look on the bright side! Paper towels can be used as a disposable towel or a napkin in just one time used! Bob Vila, at Home Depot University, did an experiment to find out more about paper towels using two different brands. The paper towel brands were Sparkle and Viva; and they were tested under absorbency, strength, and softness. Bob found out that Viva brand absorbed an average of 19 more drops of water before there was a hole in the middle of the towel, and that it was able to withstand an average of ten more N of force before ripping. But in the end, Sparkle brand was voted on a scale of 10, 2 points softer then Viva brand. MATERIALS & METHODS Brawny and 7th generation paper towels, Water, weights, and two tables were used in this experiment. A table was pushed next to another table with a about 12-13 cm crack between them. Then a Brawny brand paper towel was placed on the crack so that both ends were touching the table. There was also a slouch in the paper towel. Then, weights were put on the paper towel. There first was 1000 g weights put on, and then there were 100 g weights put on, one at a time. When there were no 100 g weights left, 4 100 g weights were taken off and a 500 g weight was put on. To take an average, this was done three times. After taking an average, this process was done again but this time, the paper towels were completely soaked with water. This process was completed three times and then an average was taken.

Then, a follow up experiment was created. In this follow up experiment, the same process was done as the first experiment, but 7th generation paper towels were used. RESULTS & DISCUSSION Dry paper towels turned out to be way stronger than wet paper towels. The dry paper towel held up an amazing number of 3,433 g before ripping! (See Figure 1). The dry paper towels are most likely to have hold up the most because the wet paper towels have water flooding in the paper towel, and it that probably weakened it. The water may have loosened the woven paper, and the loosened paper towel couldnt hold up water and as much weights as the dry paper towel against gravity. Also, the water makes the paper towel slippery and doesnt hold the weights very snug. But, with the dry paper towel, the paper towel is strong, firm, and is snug.

Figure 1 Wet vs. Dry experiment using Brawny brand.

In the follow up experiment, Dry paper towels (once again) were stronger than the wet paper towels. This time the dry paper towels were a different brand, 7th generation, but the dry paper towels still beat wet paper towels, with a total of about 870 g before breaking. (See Figure 2). The dry paper towels were most likely to be stronger than the wet paper towel because this is the same thing that happened with the Brawny paper towels. With the dry paper towel, it is tight and strong. Also, the weights are snug if the paper towel is put like a hammock to the weights. The same thing goes for the wet

paper towels, but it is not as snug because the water makes the paper towel slippery and easy to rip.

Figure 2 Wet vs. Dry follow-up experiment using 7th Generation brand.

CONCLUSION Dry paper towels were found to hold more weights than the wet paper towels. This is important to let everybody know that paper towels are better when dry then when wet. It was expected that the dry would be stronger because water makes holes into paper, and the water wouldnt make it hold as much weights as the dry paper towel. To test if this dry being stronger than wet relationship, a follow up experiment would be testing the experiment with different brands or try with different paper products like toilet paper.

CITATIONS Dictionary.com team Gravity. Gravity | Define Gravity at Dictionary.com. Ask.com Whats Your Question?, Copyright 2011. Web. 7 Dec. 2011. "gravitation." Compton's by Britannica. Encyclopdia Britannica Online School Edition.

Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc., 2011. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://school.eb.com/comptons/article-201704>. Vila, Bob. Investigating Physical Properties of Two Types of Paper Towels. Home Depot University. December 7, 2011. Print. Wikipedia contributors. "Paper towel." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 5 Nov. 2011. Web. 29 Nov. 2011.