The Real Quicker Picker Upper

Which Paper Towel Is Most Absorbent?

Science Fair

January 19, 2006

Introduction

            Many brands of paper towels claim to be the best.  Name brands cost more than store brands.  If cheaper paper towels do as good a job as expensive paper towels then it would make sense to buy the cheaper paper towels so that a person could save money.  I chose this experiment because I wanted to know which brand of paper towel would clean up a spill fastest, so that I can make the most economical purchase.

Question

Which brand of paper towel absorbs the most water?

Hypothesis

Bounty paper towels will absorb the most water.

Manipulated Variable:  Brand of paper towel

Responding Variable:  Amount of drops absorbed

Controls:  Size of paper towel, same dropper, color of paper towel, same water

Background

            The word ply refers to the number of layers a paper towel has.  Two-ply means two layers and one-ply means one layer.  New paper tends to be stronger than recycled paper of the same weight.  Fibers in recycled paper do not tangle together as well as the fibers in new paper, making recycled paper weaker than new paper. 

Materials/Supplies

Materials for this experiment were: scissors, paper towels used for clean-up, water, centimeter ruler, eyedropper, Petri dish, 5 different bands of paper towels – Bounty, Viva, Brawny, Rainbow and Country Fair.

Procedures

            After gathering all supplies begin by cutting one brand of paper towel into fifty 5 cm x 5 cm squares.  Place a 5 x 5 square in the Petri dish.  Using the eyedropper drop one drop of water on the square, allow time for it to be absorbed.  Continue adding one drop at a time until the entire square is wet.  Record the number of drops on the data table.  Dry the Petri dish before continuing.  Repeat the same procedure for each of the other 49 squares of the brand of paper towel.  Repeat the entire process for each brand of paper towel.

Analysis

            Overall averages indicate that Viva absorbed the most with an average of 33 drops, Bounty was second with an average of 27 drops and both Scott and Pom 100 had an average of 17 drops.  Viva was the most absorbent towel in all classes except 6L where Bounty was the most absorbent. 

Conclusions

            From the experiment results it can be concluded that Viva is the most absorbent paper towel.  My hypothesis is incorrect because I thought Bounty would absorb the most.  If you need a paper towel to clean up a spill quickly, with the least amount of paper towels, then Viva is the best buy.

Plans for Future Research

            Paper towels are often used to clean as well as to absorb.  Further testing would need to be done to determine if Viva is also the strongest and therefore the best to use for cleaning and scrubbing.

Bibliography

Darcey, Marietta G.  Paper Towels:  The Inside Story, One Ply or Two Ply.  Chicago:  Books Galore Incorporated, 2002.

PaperTowels.com.  Bounty Corporation.  23 Oct. 2004 <http://papertowels.com/

Scott, Henry C.  The Diary of Paper Towels.  New York:  Doubleday, 1998.