Which Diaper Absorbs More? Caitlyn Connelly

Research A polymer is many molecules strung together to make long chains. Polymers enhance absorbency. There are two types of polymers in Pampers diapers. They are polyethylene and polypropylene. Huggies contains the polymers: polyacrylate, polypropylene, polyester, and polyethylene.

Vocabulary Absorb – verb; to suck up. Polymer – noun; many molecules strung together to make long chains. Molecule – noun; the smallest particle of a substance that retains all the properties of the substance and is composed of one or more atoms Atom – noun; the smallest particle of an element that can exist either alone or in combination

Purpose The purpose of this experiment was to determine which diaper absorbs more water. I wanted to know this because my aunt is pregnant and I wanted to help her out by knowing which diaper absorbs more.

Hypothesis If Huggies has more polymers than Pampers then it absorbs more water. Variables Independent variable – different brands of diapers Dependent variable – amount of water absorbed

Materials 1 Electronic Balance 5 Huggies diapers 5 Pampers diapers Syringe 6 Drops of food dye Water 2 Glasses

Set Up First, take two glasses and fill them with water. Then, add six drops of food dye to each glass. Make sure the diapers are all the same size. (i.e size 3, etc.)

Procedure 1.First weigh the diaper and record the mass. 2.Using a syringe add colored water to the diaper until it can’t absorb anymore. 3.Then, weigh the diaper again and record the mass. 4.Next, subtract the second mass from the first mass to determine how much water the diaper absorbed. 5.Record the difference. 6.Repeat steps 1-6 for nine more diapers. *Note: You can refill the glasses as many times as needed or use more glasses.

Pampers Data Collection

Huggies Data Collection

Amount of Water Absorbed Trials

Average Amount of Water Absorbed Brands of Diapers

Analysis I noticed in the Pampers brand that the thin netting on the inside seemed to have beads of water laying on it. Huggies had the same thickness of material on the inside as it did the outside. Also it did not have the waffle appearance on the inside like pampers did. I also noticed that Huggies was larger then Pampers, although they were the same size. I also ripped open the insides of both diapers to examine the materials used inside, they both looked the same.

Conclusion Huggies absorbed more water then Pampers, this is because it had more polymers than the other brand. Huggies absorbs on average 312 more milliliters than Pampers. My hypothesis therefore was correct.

Weaknesses and Improvements I could have used more types of diapers. I could have did more trials with each type of diaper. I should have measured the length and width of each diaper.

Future Studies In the future I want to discover if the netting in the Pampers had any effect on the absorbency of the diapers. I would also like to explore the different brands of diapers and compare their different absorbencies.

Sources “Absorb.” 9 May Grassino, Susana. “Gel: A Short Word With a Long Meaning.” 9 April “Huggies Products FAQS.” 29 April “Molecule” 19 November “What is a Polymer?” 27 April 2009.