Inquiry | Conducting Experiments

This week, we conducted experiments to identify how absorbent different materials are.

First, we talked about what quality experiments require; consistency, percision, careful measurement, repitition, and comparisons.

After that, we were given a set of instructions on how to test our materials. As a class, we talked about how to make the set of instructions more detailed so that results of the experiment were quality.

Next, we chose a material to do the experiment on. The materials we could choose were stone, sand, paper towels, nappy brand 1, nappy brand 2 and cotton.

For the first part of the experiment, we measured 50g of our chosen material, and measured 100ml of water in a beaker, and added 5 drops of food colouring. We put our material into an empty tray to prevent water from being spilt. 

We poured all of the water over our materials, and collected the unabsorbed water to put back into the beaker. We then measured how much water had not been absorbed, and recorded our results. (Our results were 36ml not absorbed, 64 ml absorbed).

For stone, the results were similar and almost none of the water had been absorbed. For sand, group one had 82ml not absorbed and group two had 88ml not absorbed. For paper towels, both groups absorbed all of the water. For the nappies, all groups had absorbed all of the water. For cotton, the results were 4ml not absorbed, 2ml not absorbed and 36ml not absorbed.

I enjoyed taking part in this experiment and comparing the absorbency of different materials. One thing I think I could work on is getting similar results to another person who has tested the same material.

LI: to learn and practise experimental methods.

LI: to determine the absorbency of different materials using experimental methods.