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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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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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 Sep 19, 2024 from Explorable.com: https://explorable.com/paper-towel-experiment
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Science project, paper towel science project: capillarity.
Yikes! You’ve just spilled water all over the table! Never fear, there are paper towels nearby. As you clean up your mess you notice that water is spreading throughout the paper towel. What is going on here? The water is being absorbed, or soaked up, by the paper towel material through a process called capillary action. Capillary action, also known as capillarity , is the rising or absorption of liquids through small gaps and holes certain materials.
Paper towels are permeable and porous, meaning that they contain small spaces that both liquid and air may pass through. Liquid is able to rise through a property of water called cohesion —that is, water molecules like to stay close to one another (which also helps to explain surface tension). Water also likes to bind to certain other materials through a process called adhesion. In this paper towel science project, we will be testing which type of paper towel contains the highest rate of capillarity (or ability to absorb water into its many small spaces).
Which of your 5 paper towels demonstrates the highest level of absorption or capillary action?
- 5 different types of paper towels cut into 3”x3” rectangular strips (be sure that you use a variety: rough, soft, brown, white, recycled material, etc.)
- 5 cups filled with a small amount of water
- Cut a 3”x8” strip from each type of paper towel.
- Observe any differences you see between the paper towels. ( Are some more “quilted” than others? Rougher? Softer?) Take note of any differences.
- Fill each of 5 cups halfway with water.
- Note which bowl you will be testing which paper towel in. (make small labels if this is helpful)
- Carefully dip 1 st strip about 1 inch into the cup of water.
- Use marker to note how much water is absorbed upwards into the towel. Be sure to mark it right above the damp part so that it is dry and doesn’t smear.
- Repeat steps 4-6 with each paper towel strip.
Observations & Results
What happened? Did you notice any major differences in terms of absorption levels? If you used a largely quilted, soft paper towel, you may have noticed that it absorbed more than others.
Water wants to be wherever it can be held and kept together through cohesion and adhesion. In this case, the puffier, softer paper towels were able to hold more water because their capillarity was greater. This is due to their larger holes and pockets, which can hold more water than standard paper towels. Ever notice how rough and flat the brown paper towels in your school restrooms are? They’re not very absorbent because they do not have the soft, puffy, quilted texture of other types of paper towels.
Paper towels are a great way to explore capillary action because they show the ways in which water and other liquids can move upwards through a material at different rates and quantities. Feel free to keep investigating! Have any celery in the refrigerator? Celery can also be a great example of capillary action. Mix water and food coloring in a cup. Submerge a freshly cut end of a stalk of celery and watch the color be pulled up through the stalk!
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Paper Towel Absorbency Experiment
This post is part of the DIY Summer Camp Activities series. Find more fun things for kids of all ages there .
I coach a homeschool Science Olympiad team and one of the events is Experimental Design. For the event, students use various provided materials to design and conduct an experiment on a specific topic.
For one of our practice sessions last year, I gave them different brands of paper towel and asked them to conduct an experiment on absorbency.
The result – for me – was that I changed my brand of paper towel!! Yes, the results were that dramatic.
So the DIY summer camp activity will not only be educational and fun for your children but should also be beneficial for you!
Here is a step by step walkthrough of the experiment. You can use more water and more paper towels if you are using a bigger glass. Just adapt to make it work with the equipment you are using.
Get your children to come up with a hypothesis as to what they expect to happen and why eg. We believe brand A will be the most absorbent, brand B then next absorbent and brand C the least absorbent because …..
Materials needed
- 3 (or more) different brands of paper towels (Note how much they cost)
- graduated cylinder (if you don’t have one use a skinny glass and measure the water you pour in and what is left using a measuring jug)
- aluminum pie dish or a tray to prevent a mess 🙂
1. Gather needed materials
2. Lay all paper towels on top of each other and use scissors to trim so they are all the same size (this way you’re testing how the absorbency of the towels differs and size isn’t a variable). You will need 3 pieces of each brand.
3. Take 1 paper towel from brand A and roll lengthwise so its diameter can fit in the graduated cylinder
4. Fill the graduated cylinder with lukewarm tap water to a volume of 30ml. (Note: we use metric measurements as that is standard in the scientific community).
5. Put a rolled paper towel in the cylinder so 3cm of the towel is submerged in the water
6. Hold the towel in water for 10 seconds, then lift it up out of the cylinder and allow to drip into the cylinder for 5 seconds. (The purpose for doing this was to make sure the test showed what the paper towels were absorbing AND keeping in. After all, you don’t want towels that drip out everything you’ve just cleaned up!)
7. Either dispose of paper towel in a waste bin OR place in pie pan and throw them all away at once when you finish
8. Record the volume of water remaining in the cylinder and subtract from the original 30ml to see how much water the towel absorbed
9. Repeat steps 3-8 two more times with the same brand of paper towel.
10. Now take the next brand of paper towel and do steps 3 – 9.
Record your data as you do the experiment. Once you are finished, calculate the average amount of water left for the 3 trials of each brand of paper towel.
Draw a bar graph of the average of the tests for each brand of paper towel. It will look something like this:
The independent variable in this experiment is the brand of paper towel i.e. it is the one the tester is changing. The independent variable is always on the X-axis.
The average amount of water (over the 3 trials) left in the cylinder is the dependent variable and the bar should be drawn to this height.
Now that you have the data, and the graph, students can reach a conclusion. They need to decide if their hypothesis was supported by the data or not (NOTE: scientists never say their hypothesis was ‘true’ or ‘false’ but only whether the result of their experiment supported the hypothesis or not)
The Science Behind It
Paper towel is made of plant fibers. Capillary action in the fibers draws the water into the paper towels. If you have a microscope, put a piece of paper towel under it for your children to look at. The fibers are made up of tiny linked sugar molecules called cellulose. Cellulose attracts water. If you look at paper towel under a microscope you will also see that there are spaces between the fibers – and those will hold water too.
To take this one step further, take a look at how much each roll of paper towel cost and try to calculate the cost of one “test strip” for each. Relate the cost to how absorbent the brand was and that should help you select what to buy in the future.
And your children can see a practical use for science!
Don’t forget to take a look at other DIY Summer Camp ideas to do with your children.
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Grow a RAINBOW Paper Towel Experiment and SCIENCE Worksheets
Learn how to Grow a Rainbow with this EXCITING and EDUCATIONAL science experiment that demonstrates absorption and capillary action in an inviting way!Thank you for…
Learn how to Grow a Rainbow with this EXCITING and EDUCATIONAL science experiment that demonstrates absorption and capillary action in an inviting way!
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This rainbow science experiment is so COOL and EASY, especially with our simple directions, video tutorial, learning science worksheets, and tips for success. Trace and color the rainbow template and get ready to amaze your kids! Thank goodness it’s so easy to do because once you start this science experiment your kiddos will want to do it again again…at least mine did!
This science experiment is perfect for learning about Absorption and Capillary Action. It can also be done as a fun St. Patrick’s Day science activity, Weather and Rainbow Activity, or Spring Science Activity.
See more Rainbow Activities to Explore Rainbows with Prisms , Make a Rainbow in a Jar , and Paper Plate Rainbow Craft .
See all our Science Activities Here .
It’s similar to the rainbow walking water science experiment, except you cut the paper towel out into an arch shape so it looks more like a rainbow and displays the colors clearly so kids can easily observe the movement of water through the paper towel. I have a tip on how to place your paper towel so you don’t have to hold it while the rainbow is growing to make it easier to watch and eliminate some user errors.
While performing the Rainbow Paper Towel Experiment My older children (Little Dragon, age 9 and Little Tiger, age 11) concentrated on learning about capillary action (movement of water through an object).
My preschool kiddo (Little Pup, age 3) focused on absorption (liquid being absorbed). After watching the experiment he decided to draw his own rainbow. I LOVE it when activities like this inspire my children to explore and try new things.
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Grow a RAINBOW Paper Towel Experiment
If you like our Rainbow Science Experiment I would love for you to PIN IT! It helps others discover it too, which helps us bring you more AWESOME CONTENT like this .
- Absorbent Paper Towels (I used Bounty select-a-size and folded it in half so we could cut out two rainbows at a time.)
- Washable Markers (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple)
- Baking Dish with at least 1/2 in. of water in it
- Glass Bowl that fits upside down in the dish of water
- Optional: Learning Worksheets
Directions:
Watch our Video Tutorial to see how to do this experiment. The rainbow template, directions, and learning worksheets can be purchased and downloaded.
Preparation
- Take your dish and fill it with 1/2 in. of water.
- Place the glass bowl upside down inside the dish.
- Print the rainbow templates out. You may want to put them inside a plastic page protector to keep them dry and reusable.
This is a picture of the back of the experiment showing you how to place your bowl in the dish of water . At this point, do not place a paper towel on the bowl just yet.
Draw a rainbow on the paper towel with pencil. You can draw your own or kids can trace the Rainbow Cutting template provided in the science packet so they can perform the science experiment as independently as possible.
Cut out the rainbow.
TIP: You can fold the paper in half and cut out 2 rainbows at the same time.
Draw the colors of the rainbow on the bottom of the rainbow. To help children draw the colors of the rainbow in order, they can place the paper towel on the Rainbow Drawing Template included in the science packet.
Make sure to draw enough dye onto the paper towel.
Now it’s time to grow the rainbow.
Carefully dip the bottom of the paper towel rainbow into the water and place it on the side of the bowl. The water will hold it in place.
Tip: **Don’t submerge all of the color under the water because the marker will leak out, and the rainbow won’t grow as colorful.**
Watch the water climb as the paper towel absorbs the entire colored portion of the paper towel. See how far the water takes the colors.
Note: If the rainbow does not make it all the way to the top of the arch, try raising the water level or do the experiment again by drawing more color on each side of the paper towel.
Why Does the Rainbow Grow? Science Explained
Since paper towels are porous and made with tiny spaces between the fibers. As the paper towel is dipped in the water, the water adheres to the paper towel and fills the tiny spaces as it’s absorbed. As it does so, the ink pigments of the rainbow move with the water, causing the rainbow to get larger and “grow” as the water and colors travel further up the paper towel through capillary action.
Science Worksheets (Increase LEARNING with this Resource)
The printable science activity pack includes the supply list, directions, and 2 learning worksheets.
The Science Activity Pack includes 1 worksheet focused on Absorption and 1 worksheet focused on Capillary action. This means you can choose which one to use for your children or you can perform the same experiment in a multi-age classroom or homeschool as it guides them through the scientific process. Find out more:
More Science Activities to Do:
Dancing Corn Science Experiment
Leaf Chromatography Experiment
Borax Crystal Science Pack
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Walking Water Rainbow Science Experiment
Let’s make a walking water rainbow! There’s no better way for little scientists to learn about capillary action and color mixing than by making water walk (yes – walk!) in this colorful rainbow science experiment. This science experiment is a favorite of ours because it’s so easy to set up and the results are almost immediate.
Check out the simple step-by-step below and then gra b 30 more jaw-dropping (but easy prep!) science experiments kids will love from our shop!
Getting Ready
To prep, I gathered our supplies:
- 6 wide-mouth glasses or jars
- Paper towels (use the kind where you can select a size)
- Food dye or liquid water colors (red, yellow, and blue)
I grabbed the six small glasses first . We’ve had success using wide-mouth drinking cups and canning jars, too. Even though they all worked, just remember that bigger glasses will need more food coloring.
I ripped off six sheets of paper towel and folded each sheet in thirds, lengthwise.
We were using pretty small glasses, so I cut a few inches off the folded paper towel so it would fit in the glasses.
It’s a good idea to test your paper towel strip to make sure they fit properly in your glasses. They should be able to go from the bottom of one jar to the next without sticking up in the air too much. The paper towel on the left shows the just-right height. It’s important to set up this rainbow science experiment for success!
Making a Rainbow
This colorful rainbow science experiment is so simple and quick, it’s perfect for even the youngest little scientists. My 3 year old, Q, couldn’t wait to get started.
First, I had him line up the glasses and fill the first one with a good squirt of red watercolor , the third with yellow, and the fifth glass with blue. We left the other glasses empty.
Next, I helped Q add water to the glasses with color until the colored water almost reached the top.
We moved the glasses into a circle and added the paper towels . Starting with the red, we added one end of the paper towel and then put the other end in the empty glass next to it.
We continued around until the last paper towel was placed into the red glass.
We saw the color wick up the paper towel right away. This rainbow science experiment doesn’t take long to get going!
After another several minutes, the colored water had almost travelled the whole length of each paper towel.
Five minutes later, the water had traveled all the way up and then down the paper towel and was dripping into the empty glass.
The yellow and red water dripped into the empty cup to make orange! It made for a good lesson on color mixing.
After another five minutes, we could see the water level had dropped in the red, yellow, and blue glasses and rose in the once empty glasses as the water continued to travel from the more full glasses to the less full glasses.
We grabbed a snack and watched our beautiful rainbow science experiment during the next 20 minutes. The water continued to walk from the primary colored glasses to fill the secondary-colored glasses until all the jars were filled equally.
Not Working?
If you aren’t seeing much movement within a few minutes, it may be that you need to add more water to your colored water glasses. It really needs to be almost at the top for the water to walk quickly. So try topping off those glasses and seeing if that gets things moving.
If you see the water moving up the paper towel but it seems like it’s taking forever , it may be the type of paper towel you are using. You want a paper towel that will really hold a lot of water. We have used Bounty Select-a-Size and Target’s Up and Up Brand Select-a-Size with success.
It really is worth the extra effort of trying different cups and paper towels to get this activity to work. And once you have had success, don’t throw out those beautifully-colored paper towels or the colored water! We gently squeezed out our paper towels and let them dry in a heap on a baking sheet. We ended up with gorgeous tie-dyed looking paper towels to use for crafts and we used the leftover water as watercolors for painting with later.
The Science Behind It
This rainbow science experiment is as magic as the science behind it. The colored water travels up the paper towel by a process called capillary action . Capillary action is the ability of a liquid to flow upward, against gravity, in narrow spaces. This is the same thing that helps water climb from a plant’s roots to the leaves in the tree tops.
Paper towels, and all paper products, are made from fibers found in plants called cellulose . In this demonstration, the water flowed upwards through the tiny gaps between the cellulose fibers. The gaps in the towel acted like capillary tubes, pulling the water upwards.
The water is able to defy gravity as it travels upward due to the attractive forces between the water and the cellulose fibers.
The water molecules tend to cling to the cellulose fibers in the paper towel. This is called adhesion .
The water molecules are also attracted to each other and stick close together, a process called cohesion . So, as the water slowly moves up the tiny gaps in the paper towel fibers, the cohesive forces help to draw more water upwards.
At some point, the adhesive forces between the water and cellulose and the cohesive forces between the water molecules will be overcome by the gravitational forces on the weight of the water in the paper towel.
When that happens, the water will not travel up the paper towel anymore. That is why it helps to shorten the length that colored water has to travel by making sure your paper towel isn’t too tall and making sure you fill your colored liquid to the top of the glass.
Rainbow Science Activity Extensions
Turn this demonstration into a true experiment by varying the water level (volume) you start with and seeing how long it takes the water to reach the empty glass.
Or start with the same volume of colored water and change the brand, type (single vs double ply, quilted vs not) or length of paper towel to see how long it takes for the water to “walk” to the empty glass.
You could even use the same volume of water, same length and brand of paper towel but vary the height of the filled glass , by raising them up on books, to see how that affects the speed of the water as it “walks” to the empty glass.
Have you had enough fun with the paper towels? Try using other paper products to see how the type of paper effects the results. Try toilet paper, printer paper, newspaper or a page from a glossy magazine. What do you predict will happen?
Grab a Record Sheet
Help kids keep track of their results by grabbing our free record sheet! Then grab 30 more jaw-dropping (but easy prep!) science experiments kids will love from our shop!
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Penny Paper Towel Experiment: The Easiest Way to Teach the Scientific Method to Kids!
Categories Science Experiments
I love STEM activities for elementary school, but when the school year is just starting, I really prefer to do as many no prep STEM challenges as possible because the first few weeks of school are so hectic! At the start of the year, I like to give every student, no matter what grade, a refresher on the scientific method. The penny paper towel experiment is one of my favorite ways to teach the scientific method because the variables produce such dramatically different results.
And if you add a few extra variations, your students could even turn this into a paper towel science project.
The scientific method is one of the most important lessons any child can learn in elementary school. The scientific method teaches children the steps to completing an effective science experiment.
The penny paper towel experiment is one of the easiest methods for how to teach the scientific method to kids, because to complete the paper towel strength test, children must make a hypothesis, test variables, and record results.
What Kids Learn Doing the Penny Paper Towel Experiment
The scientific method is an important thing for elementary kids to learn so they can set up experiments and STEM activities logically.
The scientific method includes the following:
- A hypothesis
- A test with variables
- Recording data
- And sometimes repeating the experiment with other variables
The penny paper towel experiment is a simple experiment that kids of all ages can do as they test whether a wet or dry paper towel can hold more pennies. Children can declare a hypothesis on which towel will be strongest, and then once completing the experiment, the students can record the data they discovered while doing the experiment.
Why are Dry Paper Towels Stronger than Wet Paper Towels?
Paper towels are made from trees like any other paper. Paper is made of cellulose fibers. The fibers are held together with hydrogen bonds.
However, when a paper towel gets wet, the hydrogen bonds in the cellulose fibers also bond with the hydrogen in the water, which makes the cellulose bonds weaker.
What You Need for the Penny Paper Towel Experiment
The nice thing about this paper towel strength experiment is that it takes almost no supplies and children can learn an important lesson about the scientific method and why testing variables are important in every science project or STEM experiment.
To complete this penny experiment you will need the following items:
- Paper towel s (4-5 sheets per student group)
- Rubber bands (1 for each student group)
- Eye droppers or pipettes (1 per student group)
- Glass jars (1 per student group)
- STEM notebook
- Pennies (you can exchange cash for pennies at a bank if you don’t have enough for your entire class. Each student group will need about 200 pennies)
If you want to make science fair season a whole lot easier, check out the FREE science fair display board designer below.
Penny Paper Towel Experiment Lesson Plan
Setting up the experiment is easy. Discuss the properties of paper towels and what keeps the paper towels strong.
Next ask the kids to hypothesize how many pennies the dry and wet paper towels will be able to hold.
Give the students about 15 minutes to experiment with how many pennies it takes to break through the wet and dry paper towels and record the data in their STEM notebooks.
Finally, explain how variables like this are how scientists determine what is and isn’t true about the world.
More Super Simple Science Experiments
If you want to know what other science experiments you can do with materials you have in the classroom or lying around the house, then check out these other super simple science projects!
- Chemical Reactions! How to Turn a Penny Green Experiment
- No Prep STEM Challenges Perfect for the Classroom!
- Easy Science Bundle
- Cleaning Pennies Science Experiment
Get the step-by-step directions on how to do the penny paper towel experiment in the printable guide below!
Paper Towel Strength Test Science Experiment
With just paper towels and pennies, students can conduct a simple penny paper towel experiment to determine whether wet or dry paper towels can hold more weight. Students will learn how adding a variable to an experiment can drastically change the outcome even when no other changes are made.
- Paper towels
- Glass cup or jar (1 per student group)
- Rubber bands
- Eye dropper
- STEM Notebook
Instructions
- Before starting the project, have the students predict whether the dry or wet paper towels will hold more pennies.
- Take the dry paper towel and secure it over the bowl using the rubber band. Make sure that it is secure and tight.
- Count how many pennies the dry paper towel could hold before breaking.
- Have the students record the results of their experiment in their STEM notebooks.
- Take the wet paper towel and carefully secure it over the bowl using the rubber band. It will rip much easier so exercise care. Make sure that it is secure and tight.
- Count how many pennies the wet paper towel could hold before breaking.
- Have the students record their observations in their STEM journals.
- What observations can you make about this experiment?
- What variables would you change?
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Science Experiments
Color Changing Walking Water Science Experiment
Science or magic? This super quick, gravity defying experiment may surprise young scientists and work like magic, but don’t worry! The color changing walking water experiment is science through and through and fun for all ages.
Based on the very popular Walking Water Science Experiment using two glasses, you can observe the water walking AND changing color with only a few supplies you probably already have in your kitchen. This article includes a video to show you just how easy it is with detailed step-by-step instructions and the scientific explanations you need to understand how it works!
JUMP TO SECTION: Instructions | Video Tutorial | How it Works
Supplies Needed
- 3 Glasses of Equal Height
- Paper Towels
- Food Coloring (Blue & Yellow)
Color Changing Walking Water Science Lab Kit – Only $5
Use our easy Color Changing Walking Water Science Lab Kit to grab your students’ attention without the stress of planning!
It’s everything you need to make science easy for teachers and fun for students — using inexpensive materials you probably already have in your storage closet!
Color Changing Walking Water Science Experiment Instructions
Step 1 – Prepare two strips of paper towel between 1 and 2 inches wide. Tip: We used one section of paper towel and folded it in half and then in half again until it was the correct width. Set the paper towel strips aside and gather the rest of the supplies
Step 2 – Next, Position your three empty glasses about 2-3 inches apart. Pour water into the two outside glasses until they are halfway full. Leave the middle glass empty.
Step 3 – Add a few drops of food coloring to the water. Add blue food coloring to one glass and yellow food coloring to the other glass. Stir the water until the food coloring is fully combined.
Helpful Tip: If you don’t have blue & yellow food coloring, you can use red & yellow or red & blue.
Step 4 – Take one of the strips of paper towel that you prepared in step 1. Place one end of the paper towel into the glass with the blue water. Then place the other end into the glass that is empty.
Step 5 – Take the other strip of paper towel that you prepared in step 1. Place one end of the paper towel into the glass with the yellow water. Then place the other end into the glass that is empty.
Take a moment to make some observations. What happened to the paper towel that was placed in the water? Do you think it is possible for the water in the first glass to move to the empty glass? What do you think will happen if the water moves to the middle glass? Write down your hypothesis (prediction) and then leave the glasses to sit and come back to check on them in about an hour.
Step 6 – Return to the glasses and observe what has happened. What happened during the hour you were waiting? What do you think will happen if you wait a little longer. Do you think all the water in the outside glasses will move to the middle glass? Why or why not? Write down your hypothesis (prediction) and then leave the glasses to sit and come back to check on them in two hours.
Color Changing Walking water Science Experiment Video Tutorial
How Does the Experiment Work?
Why Does the Water Move Between Glasses? The water appears to defy gravity, but in reality, it moves because of a process called capillary action . Water is able to move against the force of gravity because water molecules stick to each other AND they stick to the fibers of the paper towel. As water molecules are attracted to the fibers of the paper towel, they pull other water molecules with them. The adhesive forces between the water and the fibers of the paper towel are stronger than the cohesive forces between the water molecules. This allows water to travel from one cup to another.
Capillary action is the combined force of attraction among water molecules and with the molecules of surrounding materials.
Why Does Water Change Color? Did you know that three basic colors can combine together to make any other color? These three basic colors are red, blue and yellow. They are referred to as primary colors. When two primary colors combine in equal amounts, they produce a secondary color. In this experiment, we chose blue and yellow (two primary colors) for the outside glasses. When the blue and yellow water mixed in the middle glass it turned green (a secondary color).
More Science Fun
Eventually, the water will stop moving over once both cups are filled with the same amount of water. Expand on the experiment, by estimating how long it will take for the water to move to the second jar. Then set a timer and find out how close your estimate was.
You can also try this experiment with other colors!
Red + Yellow = Orange Red + Blue = Purple
In addition, you can also try these other fun experiments that contain mixing colors:
- Coloring Changing Water Science Experiment – Science or magic? Try this experiment at home with your kids and watch their eyes light up as you pour the liquid into the bowl and “create” a new color.
- Discover How Colors are Made – This is a simple experiment that demonstrates how different colors are made.
I hope you enjoyed the experiment. Here are some printable instructions:
Instructions
- Prepare two strips of paper towel between 1 and 2 inches wide. Tip: We used one section of paper towel and folded it in half and then in half again until it was the correct width.
- Once you have your two paper towel strips ready, set them aside.
- Next, Position your three empty glasses about 2-3 inches apart.
- Pour water into the two outside glasses until they are halfway full. Leave the middle glass empty.
- Add a few drops of food coloring into the water. Stir the food coloring until the water is all one color. Tip: Use blue food coloring in one glass and yellow in the other.
- Take one of the strips of paper towel that you prepared in step 1. Place one end of the paper towel into the glass with the blue water. Then place the other end into the glass that is empty.
- Take the other strip of paper towel that you prepared in step 1. Place one end of the paper towel into the glass with the yellow water. Then place the other end into the glass that is empty.
- Observe the experiment right away. Do you notice that the water is “walking” up the paper towel? Now, leave the glasses alone and come back to check on them in an hour or two.
- Return to the glasses and observe what has happened.Tip: The longer you wait to check on the glasses, the more water will have moved to the middle glass. The water will stop moving over when all of the cups are filled with the same amount of water.
Reader Interactions
December 26, 2016 at 5:57 am
I want many science experiments for my kids.Thanks for your sharing.
December 10, 2019 at 7:33 pm
Thank you because I really needed something to do for my science fair and now i’m good to go
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Science Projects on Which Paper Towel Is the Strongest
How to Do a Science Fair Project on Paper Towels
If you want to know the strength of various brands of paper towels, you do not need a commercial to show you their take. Instead, do your own experiments at home and make your own educated decision. Purchase three to four different brands and then get home and start your various tests to find the strongest paper towel.
Dry Strength
Tear off a sheet of each paper towel and be sure they are all whole pieces with no tears. Set out objects of varying weights, like an apple, a brick and a five-pound sack of sugar. Then, have one person hold the paper towel flat, in the air, with two hands on either side, while the other sets the object in the middle. Predetermine a length of time the object must stay on the paper towel before it counts as "strong enough to hold a..." Write down your observations for each brand, depending on how they preformed.
Wet Strength
Take a new sheet of paper towel off each roll and soak them with water. Repeat the weight test with your objects to see if water makes any of them weaker or stronger. Write down your results for each. Then, while one person holds the paper towel flat in the air, place one of the objects in the center of the wet paper towel--the brick would work nicely--and see how long the paper towel can hold the weight. Before you start, make sure you have something--or someone--to catch the object when it finally falls through along with another person at the ready with a stop watch.
Absorbency Test
Grab another fresh sheet with no rips or tears from each brand of paper towel. Each sheet must be the same size to get an accurate result. This time, when one person holds the paper towel flat in the air, have another person use an eye dropper to drop water onto the middle of the paper towel. Place a bowl underneath the paper towel, because you will be counting the total number of drops each brand can hold before the water begins to drip into the bowl.
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About the Author
Jessica Bold holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. Bold has been professionally writing for one year, primarily for ehow, with articles focusing on and relating to education.
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Alfredo Tisi/Demand Media
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Project DescriptionFor grades 5-9, though our target grade is 5 th Our GEMS guide has students testing the absorbency and wet strength of four different paper towel brands. Through these tests, students will also create their own experiments and learn about fairness and bias within these experiments. First, students take the paper towels (blindly labeled A, B, C, D) and test either the absorbency or the wet strength. They award points to each towel on a scale from 1 being the worst to 4 being the best. Then, the teacher and students discuss results for each test and any conclusions that were found. Next, the students create their own experiment to test absorbency or wet strength, whatever they have not already tested. Again, students award points and determine which brand shows the strongest absorbency and the greatest wet strength. Afterward, students incorporate math by finding the cost per sheet to determine which brand is the most cost-effective. By dividing the cost per roll with the sheets per roll, and comparing it to earlier results, students really find the best paper towel for their money. Finally, students are encouraged to think of follow up experiments to extend their knowledge. for the Answer!Kristi Harjo Adventures in ISTEM 8 Cool Scientific Method Experiments for Middle Schoolers to TryAugust 10, 2023 by Kristi It’s back to school time, and that means it’s time to reintroduce students to key science skills like the scientific method. There are some simple and engaging scientific method experiments you can have your students do where they practice the key steps of the scientific method process. The scientific method is a process that allows students to figure things out about the world. They can use it to solve problems and learn more about what’s around them. It starts with making observations. Then, they ask questions about what they are seeing. From there, they make an educated guess as to why the observing the phenomenon and what is causing it. They create a controlled experiment to test their hypothesis where they gather data and more observations. Next, they analyze the data to look for patterns and answers. Finally, they draw their conclusions and share their findings. Scientific Method Experiment 1: Paper Towel Test StrengthGrowing up, for us, it was commercials that were designed to tell us which brand is best and why. Now with Tik Tok and other social media, it is important for students to fact check what they are seeing. I like to show students old paper towel commercials and then have students create scientific method experiments to test the claims. 
Scientific Method Experiment 2: Paper Towel Test AbsorbancyThis is just like the strength test, but it focuses on the paper towels ability to absorb a spill. The steps are the same as the other test. You could have half the class doing one test and the other half of the class doing the other test. This way, you are using a lot of the same materials, and students can compare their results. In the end, you could see if they can create a test to determine which is the best paper towel for strength and absorbency. 
Scientific Method Experiment 3: Grow that gummyI find that students love doing labs that involve food. They especially like eating the leftover candies that weren’t used when the experiment is over. For this scientific method experiment , students use gummy candy and different liquids to determine which one will make the gummy candy grow the largest. 
Scientific Method Experiment 4: Candy Letter LabMy students are always fascinated by this lab. Students act like magicians as they have the letters on the candy levitate to the top of the liquid without touching the candy. 
Scientific Method Experiment 5: Where did the stripes go?This is a great lab to do during the winter holidays when candy canes are in more abundance. In this lab, the students design scientific method experiments to see which liquid will remove the stripes from the candy cane the fastest. 
Scientific Method Experiment 6: Growing plantsOne scientific method experiment that is good to do at the beginning of a long unit is growing plants from seeds. This takes a while to see results, so it’s one that you will want to start and then check on periodically over a few weeks. The best seeds to use for this would be green beans, spinach, lettuce, or radish. They have short germination periods. To start, students can discuss what plants need to grow and thrive. They can come up with a variety of different questions about how different factors might affect plant growth. 
Scientific Method Experiment 7: Pendulum swingThis lab is great for students to determine not only the hypothesis but also the question. You might want to start off with a demonstration of a single pendulum. You can then start an “I Wonder” session. I wonder how adding more weight affects the number of swings? I wonder how adding more weight affects the time it takes a pendulum to swing back and forth 10 times. Have students come up with their own I Wonder questions. Once you have a good list, they can then choose one of them that they would like to test and investigate. 
Scientific Method Experiment 8: Crystal GrowingThis is another lab I like to do before winter break. Students can not only practice the steps of the scientific method, but they can also create ornaments or sun catchers that they can then take home. In this scientific method experiment , students will be given different questions about crystals and decide which question they would like to test.
Why Teach the Scientific MethodHaving students practice using the steps of the scientific method helps them to develop the soft skills that they will need outside of school and when they enter adulthood.
Practicing the steps of the scientific method provides middle school students with a host of valuable benefits that extend beyond the classroom. Engaging in scientific method experiments such as testing paper towel strength and absorbency, growing crystals, and investigating candy properties helps students develop critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication. These skills are vital for their future endeavors, enabling them to make evidence-based decisions, tackle real-life challenges, and express their findings clearly. Embracing the scientific method empowers students to explore the world around them and equips them with essential skills for success in adulthood. Looking for something?
Join the NewsletterGet tips & freebies right in your inbox! Science Fun Pulling Colors Apart Science ExperimentIn this fun and easy science experiment, we’re going to explore and investigate colors by pulling them apart.
Instructions:
EXPLORE AWESOME SCIENCE EXPERIMENT VIDEOS! How it Works:As the food coloring is drawn up the paper towel, the different pigments separate. The reason is the pigments are different weights, travel at different speeds, and thus end up in different places. Chromatography is the technique of separating mixtures. Make This A Science Project:Try different colors. Try different types of paper. Try substituting water with vinegar. EXPLORE TONS OF FUN AND EASY SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS! SUBSCRIBE AND NEVER MISS A NEW SCIENCE FUN VIDEO! Georgia-Pacific shows off completed $550M expansion project at its Green Bay Broadway Millby Andrew Mertins, FOX 11 News  GREEN BAY, Wis. (WLUK) -- One of Green Bay's largest employers, Georgia-Pacific , officially unveiled Tuesday the latest expansion to its more than 100-year-old mill on Broadway. Inside the new facility, paper towel -- a household essential -- is being prepared to be stocked on store shelves. Before the state-of-the-art expansion, production was a little different. "Historically, here in Green Bay, we have always made products that have really supported other businesses, right? So, when you think of restaurants and hotels, a lot of those products that you see and use are Georgia-Pacific. What this investment is is it makes retail products," said Dean Wesolowski, who led the expansion project. "You all brought it here because of the work attitude, the culture, the experience, the expertise," said Georgia-Pacific President & CEO Christian Fischer. The new 600,000-square-foot facility houses its new paper machine, which features more automation to increase safety and productivity. That doesn't mean it's taking away jobs. Rather, the expansion has allowed for additional job growth. "There's very few manual touches. Now, we need a lot of people, but it's a lot of technology and it's a different skill set to run the equipment today," said Wesolowski. Georgia-Pacific says this project has allowed them to add more than 100 jobs . While some positions have been filled, Georgia-Pacific is still looking to hire. "Technicians that'll operate our equipment, not only the paper machine, but our converting assets that actually make the product. We're hiring engineers, we're hiring maintenance folks, supervisors," added Wesolowski. Leaders first broke ground on the project in July 2022. In total, the work cost more than $550 million. Before the project, the Broadway Mill hadn't opened a new paper machine in more than 30 years. The expansion is allowing Georgia-Pacific to address an increased demand for paper towel products. "You can see the care that the people put in the facility and all the things that they do, the choices that they've made to make sure that not only is the facility being brought up, but it's brought up in a way that we are able to consistently monitor great quality products coming off the line," said Amanda Earley, brand director for Brawny Paper Towels. Some operations inside the facility began as early as April, while the majority of production started in June. |
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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.
Bounty has easy and fun science fair projects to test the strength and absorption of paper towels & capillary action. Find out germination time of seeds with Bounty.
The Paper Towel Experiment is a project about which type of paper can absorb more water. 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.
This colorful grow a rainbow experiment will amaze your kids! Learn how to grow a rainbow within minutes by using paper towels, markers, and two cups of water. My daughter is currently obsessed with rainbows,
This easy and inexpensive paper towel science project introduces kids to important physical concepts like cohesion, adhesion, and capillarity.
An absorbency experiment to do with your children at home that will help you determine which brand of paper towel you should buy.
Discover how to grow a rainbow with paper towels and learn about absorption and capillary action in this fun and easy science experiment for kids.
Paper towels are especially absorbent. Their cellulose fibers have empty spaces, like tiny air bubbles, between them. Water molecules, which like to stay together, follow the water absorbed by the cellulose and fill up the empty spaces. Layering the paper towel creates more empty spaces for water to fill, which explains why your layered paper ...
This rainbow science experiment is as magic as the science behind it. The colored water travels up the paper towel by a process called capillary action. Capillary action is the ability of a liquid to flow upward, against gravity, in narrow spaces. This is the same thing that helps water climb from a plant's roots to the leaves in the tree tops.
Dry Paper Towel Science Experiment Instructions Experiment Setup - Start with some observations about the paper towel. What are paper towels used for? Demonstrate how a paper towel gets wet when it is use to wipe up water. Then ask some questions. Do you think that we can put the paper towel is water without it getting wet? If so, how?
The strength of a paper towel is among its most important properties. A stronger paper towel has more uses and will last longer. Another important property of a paper towels is its ability to absorb water. Almost all manufacturers of paper towels claim that their product is the strongest and absorbs the best.
Science fair projects require a hypothesis, some amount of experimentation, and a final report and presentation that explain your findings. It is important to start planning your project early, as you will need time to complete each step of the project, and you cannot usually do this the night before the due date. If you want to do a science fair project about paper towels, one that centers on ...
Creative ways of using paper kitchen towels to get your children to love science. Simple science experiments you should try today#TheDadLab #kidsactivities #...
The penny paper towel experiment is one of the easiest methods for how to teach the scientific method to kids, because to complete the paper towel strength test, children must make a hypothesis, test variables, and record results.
Here are step-by-step instructions on how to make your own paper towel art. For more STEAM fun for kids, check out our lists of 25 preschool science experiments, 64 easy science experiments for kids to do at home, and 100 awesome art projects for creative at-home fun.
Color Changing Walking Water Science Experiment Instructions. Step 1 - Prepare two strips of paper towel between 1 and 2 inches wide. Tip: We used one section of paper towel and folded it in half and then in half again until it was the correct width. Set the paper towel strips aside and gather the rest of the supplies.
If you want to know the strength of various brands of paper towels, you do not need a commercial to show you their take. Instead, do your own experiments at home and make your own educated decision. Purchase three to four different brands and then get home and start your various tests to find the strongest paper towel.
You aren't allowed to pick up either glass! Can you get the water to "walk" between the glasses using nothing but a paper towel? Try this activity to find out! This activity is not recommended for use as a science fair project. Good science fair projects have a stronger focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing ...
Project Description. For grades 5-9, though our target grade is 5 th. Our GEMS guide has students testing the absorbency and wet strength of four different paper towel brands. Through these tests, students will also create their own experiments and learn about fairness and bias within these experiments. First, students take the paper towels ...
For the first experiment, I took two sections of Viva Vantage, folded it in half and we drew colored circles in a row using washable markers. Then we dipped the end into a container of water. We watched as the water traveled up the paper towel and changed the look of the colored circles. My boys thought it was magical!
Engaging in scientific method experiments such as testing paper towel strength and absorbency, growing crystals, and investigating candy properties helps students develop critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication.
In this fun and easy science experiment, we're going to explore and investigate colors by pulling them apart. Materials: Paper towel Green food coloring A glass with one inch of water inside Instructions: Tear the paper towel into a long narrow strip. Put a drop of green food coloring about two inches from the bottom of the strip of paper towel. Hang the paper towel into the water so that the ...
Once the paper has dried, lift it from the strainer, and it will be ready to use! Note: Once the seed paper is dried, it is shelf-stable because the seeds are still dormant in the dry paper. Therefore, you can either continue the experiment right away or at a later date. Test the Seed Paper as a Fertilizer. You will prepare one pot for each ...
Before the project, the Broadway Mill hadn't opened a new paper machine in more than 30 years. The expansion is allowing Georgia-Pacific to address an increased demand for paper towel products.
Find the best Kitchen Towels for your project. We offer the Marathon Dispenser Roll Paper Towels (700Ft. 6 Rolls) for $112.84 with free shipping available. Michaels. ... Marathon Dispenser Roll Paper Towels (700Ft. 6 Rolls) Item # 333437652118126599. Add to list. Share. Description. Shipping & Returns. Store Information . Review. Shipping ...