Wrinkle Releaser Straw Fibers Expanding
How does a wrinkle releaser work?
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This Week's Experiment - #246 Paper Worms
This week's experiment ties together something from my childhood with
something very new. The new thing is a wonderful product that has made my
life easier. Now, usually I don't promote products, but this one I really
like, and it has some interesting science in it too. I don't like ironing
work shirts. Since we travel so much, I have to bring an iron, ironing
board, and starch with me, making that much more stuff for me to pack and
unpack. Recently, Downy came out with a product called Wrinkle Releaser. Now
I just spray the shirt, give it a tug and it is done. How can that work?
Part of the answer lies in a childhood trick. To try it, you will need:
a drinking straw with a paper wrapper
water
paper towel or napkin
If you can't find a straw with a paper wrapper, you can use a wadded up paper
towel, but it is not nearly as impressive. To do this right, you need the
paper from the straw. It is also important to remove the paper in the right
way. Hold the straw loosely and stab it gently onto the table. This makes
the straw poke through the top of the paper wrapper and crumples the wrapper
a bit. Now you want to force the paper downwards, crumpling it tightly as it
slides down the straw. You want the paper to be squeezed down to about an
inch long at the bottom of the straw. Then slide the squashed wrapper off
the straw and place it on the table. It should remain crumpled up as it lays
there. If you are using paper towel, use a small piece and wad it tightly
into a ball.
Now comes the fun part. Dip the straw into the water and then put your
finger over the end. This will hold some of the water in the straw when you
take it out of the water. You want to let one or two drops fall onto the
straw wrapper and then watch carefully to see what happens. It begins to move! Not
just move, it begins to grow! Sometimes you need another drop or two to get
the full effect. As the paper expands, it seems to be a worm that is growing
or stretching out.
Why does it do that? Tear a piece of paper towel and look closely at the
torn edge. The paper is made up of tiny, thread-like fibers. So is the
paper in the straw wrapper, and any other piece of paper. The fibers may be
bigger or smaller, but they are what the paper is made from. Where did these
fibers come from? Trees. Wood is chopped and processed into a pulp, which
is rolled out and dried to form paper. When you add water to the paper, the
dried fibers absorb it and expand, just as a sponge swells as it soaks up
water. In the crumpled straw wrapper, as the fibers expand, they cause the
paper to straighten out some, causing the paper to seem as if it is growing.
Your clothes are also made of fibers. When they are folded, the fibers get
bent, forming a crease or wrinkle. By using a chemical which causes the
fiber to swell a bit, the wrinkles come right out. This saves me some work,
and as my wife will tell you, I am all for saving myself from work. Have a
great week.
These experiments are from Robert Krampf - The Happy Scientist
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