This is my entire written science fair project. It includes the introduction, experimental design, results, error analysis, abstract, and conclusion. We didn't win, but we got an honorable mention and a pretty blue ribbon. I did this with my friend...
The problem the researchers sought to answer was: What is the relationship between the type of cloth and the amount of dye it absorbs?
Using two natural fibers, wool and cotton, and two synthetic fibers, polyester and nylon, the researchers dyed each cloth type black using the same procedure and the same materials. Each cloth type was cut into 50 1cm by 1cm squares, which were each dyed. The results were compared to a color scale and the data was recorded.
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Color scale which the cloths were compared to.
The hypothesis was: as the naturality of the cloth increases, the color value increases. Cloths were ranked in naturalality- cotton being the most natural, then wool, then polyester, and then nylon. The hypothesis is supported. Cotton had the highest average dye absorption, with an 8 on the O&A Color Scale. Compared to the others dyes, cotton out ranks them. Polyester had a 3, wool had a 6.5, and nylon was the lowest, with a rating of 2. The findings are consistent with other sources. The boxed dye brand that was used had warned against using cloth similar to polyester because it would not dye well.
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Cotton has a lot of hydrophilic(water absorbing) molecules, which absorb dye really well, which is probably the reason why it got the highest. Wool, being an animal product, ranked second as it might have had hydrophilic molecules, but they might have been coated in body oil. Polyester had hydrophobic(water repelling) molecules, ranking it third. Nylon is a mixture of multiple plastics, so with all the hydrophobic molecules combined, it might have been the reason it absorbed the least dye.
There are multiple systematic, measurement, and random errors that need to be addressed. Systematic errors included that even though we measured the temperature of the water, it may not have stayed consistent as the the temperature of the bucket of water will inevitably decrease as they were not room temperature.When the cloth pieces were being dyed in the bucket, there was no space in which to see the cloth squares because of the bubbles, but you could feel that some cloth pieces clumped together more than others, the wool especially. When they clump together, then the dye can't reach the pieces evenly. Measurement errors included that the cloth pieces may have been maybe a 1.12 on our color scale, but we would not be able to catch the slight difference with our untrained eyes. Another error that may not be consistent is the water and dye. Even though we measured, there could be a drop or two of water that was added or missing, same for the dye, and the detergent. The squares also might not have been perfect squares, which could have affected the color value. Random errors included that the packages of dye may have been less effective or more effective throughout packets. They may have been more moist or dry, which would change according to the humidity of the room and the temperature and alter the color value. The nylon could have had other materials and chemical substances mixed in it which could have affected how much it absorbed the dye. The wool could have come from an animal who produced a lot of body oil, hence coating the fibers and making less impervious to dye. These are all not preventable and could result in variations of the color value throughout the experiment.
This investigation will benefit many companies who manufacture dye and cloth. They could market their cloth differently knowing which one would dye better than the others. This study would also benefit people new to the dyeing hobby. With so many options to choose from, which cloth would they know would be the best cloth to absorb dye? This study not only tells them which material absorbs the most dye, but also tells them which materials are more suitable to use as a beginner cloth. For the researchers, this experiment was significant in the case of experience. In the future, the researchers will be more well versed in how to thoroughly carry out an experiment, as well as writing scientific research papers.
Further experiments could be done about why natural fibers absorb more dye. Different types of molecules and their size could be used to experiment on. Other dyes could be used and experimented on to find their effectiveness. All these are possible experiments which could take place in the future.
