Paper Towel Experiment Background Research

Background Research Did you know that you may use up to 57 sheets of paper towels every day, and that includes toilet paper? Crazy to think about. The problem I am trying to solve is; Does the type of liquid affect how much the paper towel takes in? Paper towels are a necessity for mothers and for kids trying to hide spills they have made. Paper towels are also rough on the outside. Paper towels are made of tissue and not of cloth. They are also very absorbent. Paper towels are made to consume lots of spills. “ The viscosity of a liquid is a measure of its resistance to flow. Water, gasoline, and other liquids that flow freely have a low viscosity. Honey, syrup, motor oil, and other liquids that do not flow freely, have higher viscosity.”(Learning) This means that the lower the viscosity than the more freely the liquid flows. Orange juice’s viscosity is 630 centipoise. Which makes it very low compared to honey’s viscosity which is 1,500 centipoise. In former …show more content…
Well, paper towels absorb water, or other liquids, via capillary action. “This principle originates from the observation that when a thin glass tube (a capillary) is inserted into a liquid, it draws up liquid (independent of air pressure) to a height inversely proportional to the radius of the tube.” (Brown) Considering this very complicated, it is when surface tension is being held onto adhesive and cohesive objects. There is also a difference in which type of paper ( toilet paper, napkins, paper towels, etc.) absorbs the most liquid. “ Kitchen paper towels can absorb more spilled liquid because the paper making up a paper towel was woven together loosely, which allows the liquid to travel between the paper fibers in the towel, making it a more absorbent paper product. Paper towels are manufactured and woven through 2 separate manufacturing processes: creping and embossing.” (Clean it Supply) This is why paper towels are more