Paper Towel Testing

Friday, we started a pair of experiments on paper towel testing. Each pair of students got 4 different paper towels...1/4 cup of water...a tray...and, if they wanted, a dropper.
They saturated each paper towel until water was dripping out of it. They held the paper towel up over the tray, letting the water drip out. When it stopped, we measured the amount of water that was NOT in the towel. Knowing how much water we started with (57ml), we were able to rate the 4 paper towels on their absorbancy.
There were 3 choices: put the paper towel in the tray, pour 1/4 cup of water on it, let it set for a minute, then hold the towel up so the water could drain.... OR put the paper towel over the tray, and take turns using the dropper to put the water on the towel. When it was saturated and not holding any more, stop, and measure all the leftover water. OR put the 1/4 cup of water IN the tray, set the towel in the water until it was saturated....and then hold the towel up...measuring the leftover water.
This week, surveys are being done. Each student is to ask at least 4 people which brand of paper towel they use and why...
This next Friday, we'll do another test...called the 'strength test'. We'll wet the paper towels, then see how much weight they'll hold before ripping.
Once we have the results of the absorbancy test....and the strength test...then we'll calculate the cost per sheet of each brand we are testing and see which one is the best buy.
An interesting discussion took place about the absorbancy test. One of the brands is much larger than the other three. I had talked about cutting it so they were all the same size. Room 5ers disagreed...saying these sizes were how the towels are sold. Maybe the largest one NEEDS to be large to be absorbant???

We'll see...

and then we'll let you know!