And its gone – Absorption

A spill on the dining table does not exactly sound like the ideal venue for a science lesson, but it can be. Just as the spill is easy to mop up if you have the right kind of wash cloth, the scientific principle of absorption can be explained with a quick practical. Here is a simple science project that you can use to determine what cloth wipes up water spills better than the others. Its simple to do.

Here’s what you will need. A glass of water, a table to create the spills on, and a few different wash cloths made out different fibers and materials. You will also need a stop watch to calculate how fast the cloth wiped up the spill. Note down the readings in a note book so that you can compare the results later.

The process is very easy. You create a spill on the table top with the water that you have. Then you use a wash cloth to absorb it. You note the time it takes for the cloth to soak up all the water. Then you repeat the process with all the different wash cloths that you have. Be sure to make the spills with the same amount of water. Use a peg measure to get the exact same quantity of water on the table each time. Have fun mopping up. Try out some more science projects here.