ryan paper towel experiment

Top 8 Paper Towel Science Experiments

Welcome to our specially curated collection of exciting, hands-on paper towel science experiments perfect for kids of all ages. This round-up is designed to elevate the humble paper towel from a cleaning tool to the centerpiece of fascinating scientific endeavors.

Paper towels, a household essential often summoned to tackle spills and messes, possess an unsung potential that goes beyond mere cleanup. Their woven fibers and absorbent nature make them an intriguing subject for scientific experiments. What might seem like a simple sheet of paper can, in fact, unveil many scientific principles and discoveries when looked at with an inquisitive eye.

Let’s get started!

1. Travelling Waters

This intriguing activity allows students to learn about the remarkable phenomenon of capillary action. Through this experiment, students will gain a deeper understanding of concepts such as absorption, cohesion, and adhesion.

Learn more: Travelling Waters

2. Wiggly Worm

In this experiment, you’ll create your very own wiggly worm by adding a special concoction to a paper towel strip. As if by magic, the paper towel will come to life, squirming and twisting like a real worm!

3. Grow A Rainbow Paper Towel

This experiment not only ignites your artistic side but also provides a hands-on opportunity to learn about the science behind color mixing and solubility.

Learn more: Grow A Rainbow Paper Towel

4. Keep a Paper Towel Dry Under Water

Prepare to be amazed by the extraordinary “Keep a Paper Towel Dry Under Water” science experiment! In this captivating experiment, you’ll witness the seemingly impossible as you place a paper towel underwater, only to see it remain completely dry.

Learn more: Keep a Paper Towel Dry Under Water

5. Which Paper Towel is the Strongest?

By testing and comparing different brands and types of paper towels, you can uncover which one possesses the greatest strength and durability, offering valuable insights into the practicality and effectiveness of these everyday products.

6. The Wet & Reveal Experiment with Paper Towels

This engaging science experiment offers students a unique opportunity to explore the principles of absorption and chemical reactions in a fun and creative way.

7. Tie Dyed Paper Towel Art 

In this captivating activity, you’ll transform ordinary paper towels into stunning works of art using the magical technique of tie-dye.

Learn more: Tie Dyed Paper Towel Art 

8. Paper Towel vs Water Experiment 

In this intriguing experiment, you’ll investigate the threshold at which a paper towel reaches its maximum absorption capacity.

By gradually adding water to different paper towel samples and measuring the amount of water they can absorb before reaching saturation, you’ll uncover the limits of their absorbency.

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• 68 Best Chemistry Experiments: Learn About Chemical Reactions
• 37 Water Science Experiments: Fun & Easy
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Paper Towel Art - Is it magic or science?!

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Magic Paper Towel Art & Science Experiment in One!

Paper towel art supplies:

• Marker (permanent and washable)
• Paper towels
• Water in a small tray

Paper towel art directions

Step 1: get your supplies ready.

STEP 2: Draw pictures on paper towels

STEP 3: Add paper towel art to water

Rainbow rain cloud magic paper towel art 

Storms don't last forever surprise picture

Paper towel art for younger children

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Paper Towel Experiment

Which is the most absorbent.

The Paper Towel Experiment is a project about which type of paper can absorb more water.

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In every store, big or small, there are numerous brands of paper towels available, each claiming to be the best, the most absorbent or the cheapest. How do we prove or disprove these claims? How do we work out which paper towels are truly great and which are almost entirely useless?

We have all seen advertisements where two brands of paper towels are compared by observing how quickly or thoroughly they suck up a mysterious blue liquid or by wiping up some muddy footprints from their kitchen floor.

This, as we know, is not very scientific - there are no figures, no proof and little truth.

Here we are going to show you how to conduct an experiment to test one of these claims: the absorbency of paper towels.

Some Facts About Kitchen Towel

• Paper towels were invented by Arthur Scott in Philadelphia, USA, in around 1900. From humble beginnings, paper kitchen towels have become a billion dollar industry.
• Paper towels are often made from post consumer recycled paper fiber, requiring fewer trees being cut down and using up to 50% less energy.

Performing the Paper Towel Experiment

“More expensive brands of paper towel are more absorbent.”

What You Will Need for the Paper Towel Experiment

• At least four brands of absorbent paper towel
• A stopwatch
• A graduated cylinder
• Fill the beaker up with exactly 200 ml of water
• Take a sheet of the first brand of towel.
• Fold and insert into the water. As you dip the towel into the water, start your stopwatch.
• After 20 seconds, remove the towel from the beaker and squeeze as much water as you can out of the towel in to the graduated cylinder using the funnel. Make a note of the volume extracted
• Repeat 5 times for each brand and note the results in your data table. You must make sure that each sheet is folded in exactly the same way for the experiment to be constant and correct.
• Write down the results for each brand in your notebook.

Work out an average for each result and write down in a table.

Plot all of your results onto a simple bar graph like the one below; you can do this on a computer or you can use graph paper and pencils.

This will allow you to show which brand of paper towel is the most absorbent and which is truly awful.

Problems and Further Experimentation

Of course, this is a very simple experiment and it does have some limitations; you are testing only one reason why people choose a certain brand.

Some brands might be excellent at soaking up spills but are very expensive. Maybe some brands are not as good at soaking up water but are better at soaking up other liquids like milk or cooking oil.

When a consumer buys paper towels, they are not just looking for absorbency. Price, softness, availability, number of sheets on a roll, and strength are all important factors when buying a roll of kitchen towel.

Perhaps you could design an experiment to rate the strength and softness, or try and calculate how much each towel costs per sheet.

Paper towel manufacturers spend millions of dollars every year but, with a few simple experiments, you can find out which brands truly are the best.

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Martyn Shuttleworth (Sep 21, 2008). Paper Towel Experiment. Retrieved Jun 18, 2024 from Explorable.com: https://explorable.com/paper-towel-experiment

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It’s the moment every parent dreads – you’re going about your day when your child mentions that he or she has to do a science project. If you’re one of the lucky ones, your kid will let it slip a few days after it was assigned. But if you’re like most parents, you’ll find out about it the night before it’s due. Either way, we’ve got you covered with a few science fair project ideas to make sure your child scores a top grade (or at least stays out of summer school). Best of all, these science experiments for kids can be completed with common household items you most likely already have on hand.

Testing the Strength of Paper Towels

If you find yourself short on time, testing which paper towel brand is the strongest, makes for a simple yet fun paper towel science project.

Time Needed: 2 Hours

Materials Needed:

1 roll of Bounty paper towels 3 rolls of paper towels made by 3 separate brands. 1 large plastic tub 2 cups of water Notebook or journal Graph paper 125 quarters A partner

• Detach one towel from each roll of paper towels and label each one with the corresponding brand’s name.

• Have the partner hold one of the detached sheets over the plastic tub.

• Pour exactly ½ a cup of water onto the paper towel.

• Place the quarters (one at a time) onto the paper towel until it breaks.

• Record the results of which paper towel is the strongest.

• Repeat steps 1 through 5 for each brand of paper towels.
• Create a graph to illustrate the results.

Paper Towel Absorbency Experiment

If you liked the previous idea, but don’t have over thirty dollars in quarters laying around the house, your child can always test what brand of paper towel is most absorbent.

1 roll of Bounty paper towels 3 rolls of paper towels made by 3 separate brands. 1 cup of water An even wooden or plastic table Notebook or journal Graph paper

Under your supervision, have your child complete the following steps:

• Tear off one towel from each roll of paper towels and label each one with the corresponding brand’s name.

• Pour the water onto the table in four different sections. Each section should contain exactly ¼ of a cup of water. (Make sure to give yourself some room, sothe pools of water don’t overlap.)

• Place one paper towel over one pool of water.

• Wait ten seconds.
• Remove the paper towel, and record your findings of the paper towel absorbency in the notebook.
• Repeat steps 3 through 5 for each paper towel brand.
• Create a graph to illustrate the results of which paper towel absorbs the most water.

Seed Germination with Paper Towels

Supposing your child has a few days to complete the project, a seed germination experiment is relatively hassle-free, and usually goes over well with teachers and students alike. It’s a great paper towel science fair project because it only takes a few minutes to prepare. However, it does take a few days for the seeds to grow.

3 plastic cups Bounty paper towels (Bounty is highly absorbent, so results should be seen faster) 3 plastic (or regular) plates 1 gallon of distilled water Potting soil Journal or notebook 6 bean seeds (Bean seeds are pretty big, sprout quickly and are easy to work with) Graph paper

• Place the soil into the plastic cups.

• Plant a bean about ¼ inch deep in each cup containing the soil.

• Take three sheets of Bounty paper towels and fold each in half.

• Place each of the remaining seeds inside its own folded paper towel, then place each of the paper towels on its own plate.

• Water the paper towels and soil cups until wet (not soaking) and place all the seeds in a warm, dark room.

• Monitor the seeds daily and water the soil cups or wet the paper towels again when they start to dry out.

• Note which seeds germinated when, and chart your results on graph paper. Explain which process worked better, and which seeds produced the longest, thickest sprouts.

Paper Towels Color Bridge

Paper Towel Color BridgeHere’s an idea with lots of color and wow factor. Best of all, it’s fairly simple, quick and inexpensive.

3 clear plastic cups 2 cups of water Yellow food coloring Blue food coloring Spoon 1 roll of Bounty paper towels (Using Bounty will cut down on the time it takes to see results. The channels in the towels will dispense water faster than other brands.) Under your supervision, have your child complete the following steps:

• Fill two of the cups with 1 cup of water each.

• Add yellow food coloring to one and the blue to the other.

• Stir (remember to clean the spoon so you won't mix the colors).

• Arrange the cups so that the empty cup is in the middle.

• Tear off paper towels and roll them into tight tubes.

• Stick one end of each into one of the colored waters, and the other end into the empty middle cup.

• Observe the colored water as it travels up the paper towel.
• Document your findings.

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