Paper Towel Challenge

  • A) Question to Answer – Which paper towel is the most absorbent?
  • B) Brief activity description
    • Open inquirty activity that the students decide how to answer the question OR
    • Structured activity demonstrating how to use a ruler, scale, and graduated cylinder to measure length, weight, and volume and calculate area and changes in weight and volume.
    • Technology – This activity is good practice putting data into a spreadsheet and making simple graphs
  • C) Special safety concerns/precautions – none
  • D) Learning objectives
    • Inquiry objectives: Reframe a question to define and normalize variables then collect, organize, graph, explain data/evidence, justify a conclusion.
    • Structured objectives: Review appropriate use of lab equipment for direct measurement and review how to use math to calculate additional measurements and draw conclusions.
  • E) Equipment required for one lab group
  • F) Materials required for one lab group
    • Required Materials
    • 50-100mL Water  
      3 Brands Paper towel OR  
      or 1 Bibulous paper 15W2500
      or 1 Filter paper 15W7809
      or 1 2 ply paper towel roll 15W9844
    • Optional Materials
    • 1 Graph Paper 15W3835
      1 Pencil 15W2576
      1 Beaker (plastic, 100mL) 18W9071
      1 Pipette/Dropper (plastic, disposable) 18W2977
      1 Food Color 15W0071
      1 Polystyrene weighing dishes (pk 500) 18W1454
  • G) Timeline/Instructions
    • Prep time – gather materials – 10 minutes
    • Instructions to class – 5 minutes
    • Data Collection and analysis – 30 minutes
  • H) Suggested data collection sheet
  •   Length Width Area Dry Weight Volume displaced water Volume remaining water Volume water absorbed Wet weight Volume water per sq/inch Volume water per gram of paper
    Paper 1                    
    Paper 2                    
    Paper 3                    
  • I) Diagrams/Background
    • The easiest way to do the experiment is to have students cut paper to same size to normalize area – although they can normalize by calculation
    • Reminding them that 1mL of water weighs 1 gram may be helpful although you may want them to measure directly or derive this.
  • J) Standards addressed (National Science Education)
    • UNIFYING CONCEPTS
      • Evidence, models, and explanation
      • Constancy, change, and measurement
    • SCIENCE AS INQUIRY STANDARDS
      • A1 – Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
      • A2 – Understanding about scientific inquiry
  • K) Related Kits and Products
    • 36W6014 Ward’s introduction to experimental design and data presentation
      36W1228 Ward’s Introducing the Scientific Method Lab Activity
      36W0750 Ward’s Mystery Powders Lab Activity
      36W6222 Ward’s Sci”Ant”ific Method Lab Activity

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