Science Projects Involving Paper, Cotton & Aluminum
When science fair season rolls around you will have to decide what types of science projects interest you the most. But there's no need to panic. Many experiments can be conducted using some common materials found around your house, such as paper, cotton and aluminum.
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Paper Towel Absorbency
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You can take on the role of consumer advocate by testing which brand of paper towel is the most absorbent. You'll need four or five rolls of different brand-name paper towels, a liquid measuring cup that's marked with ounces, two jars or beakers, a funnel and some water. Measure and pour 6 ounces of water into the first jar and put the first brand of paper towel in the jar with water. (Use the same size towels for each test.). After 15 seconds, remove the paper towel and squeeze the water out into the second jar using the funnel. Measure how much water is in the second jar and record it. Test the remaining paper towel brands in the same manner, recording the results each time. Repeat the test four times for each brand and average the amount of water they removed. Rank the results from most absorbent to least.
Does Cotton Make the Best Insulator?
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For this project you'll need to gather items made of various materials: cotton socks, wool socks, a polyester shirt, cotton-blended shirt, a small strip of fiberglass insulation and plastic foam, foil, leaves and anything else you wish to test. Fill small glass jars with hot water. Take the water's temperature to make sure it's the same in each jar. Record the temperature and screw on the jars' lids. Wrap each jar in one of the materials and place them on a tray. Leave one jar unwrapped as a control. Move the tray of jars outside into colder temperatures. Leave the jars outside for about an hour and then unwrap them. Take the temperature of the water again. How much has the water in each jar cooled? Did the cotton wrap insulate the best?
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Aluminum and Static Electricity
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This project will show how uncharged aluminum foil reacts to various conductors of static electricity. First, build a homemade electroscope (a device that detects electrical charge). You'll need one small cup (glass or paper), a plastic drinking straw with flexible end, tape and aluminum foil. (Note: Conducting this experiment inside the house during day is best.) Put the straw in the cup with the flexible part at the top; the straw should be bent. Tape two 2 1/2-by-1/2-inch pieces of aluminum foil to the bent part of the straw so they hang down but don't touch. You're ready to test different materials, such as plastic, silk, paper, carpet fibers and cotton to see how they'll react to the foil. Rub the item, such as a plastic ruler, on the wool and move it close to the foil. Note what happens. Repeat the process with the other items and record your observations. Create a chart of your findings.
The Collapsing Aluminum Can
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How much force does it take to crush an aluminum can? To find out, you'll need an empty aluminum soft drink can, a 2- or 3-quart saucepan, and a pair of kitchen tongs. Fill the pan with cold water and put a tablespoon of water into the soda can. Using the tongs, heat the water in the can over the stove until it boils and vapor rises from the opening. Allow it to boil for about 30 seconds. Quickly invert the can and dip it in the water in the saucepan. The can will collapse. The vapor has pushed air out of the can leaving mostly vapor. Cooling the can quickly caused the vapor left in the can to condense and create a partial vacuum. The low pressure of the vacuum allowed the greater air pressure outside the can to crush it.
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References
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