In this lab we asked the question, “what concentration of bleach is best to fade the color out of new denim material in 10 minutes without damaging the fabric?” We found that the 100% concentration of the bleach removed the most color out of the denim material; however, it also damaged the fabric the most. We rated the removal of color from the 100% concentration of bleach a 5.7 out of 10 and the fabric damage a 4 out of 10. For the 50% concentration of bleach, we rated the color removal a 4 out of 10 and the fabric damage a 2.7 out of 10. We observed that the higher the concentration of bleach, the more it removed the color and damaged the fabric. It’s widely known that the higher the concentration of bleach, the more it removes color. This concept applied to our lab because the 100% concentration of bleach removed the most color while the 12.5% of bleach removed almost no color. We realized that although the 100% concentration of bleach removed the color the best, the fabric damage was too great. However, with the 25% concentration of bleach, even though there was minimal fabric damage, there was almost no color removal, rating 0.3 out of 10. Using this data, we concluded that the 50% concentration of bleach was the best choice with a rating of 4 out of 10 for color removal and a 2.7 out of 10 for fabric damage.
While our hypothesis was supported by our data, there could have been errors due to inaccurate measuring and inexact timing. Because we didn’t measure the ratio of bleach to water exactly, there could have been less bleach or less water in some of the solutions, thus causing more or less color removal and fabric damage. In addition, we did not perfectly time the lab, so some denim material could have been in the solution for a longer or shorter period of time. This could again cause more or less fabric damage and color removal. Another factor of inaccurate data could be that all the jeans that we used were not the same color. Some were darker and some were lighter than others. Last of all, everyone’s ratings were different because it was their own opinion and some people could think that it faded and damaged more or less than others. Due to these errors, in future experiments I would recommend that you use one pair of jeans to cut out the fabric from and measure out the bleach and water accurately. Also, make sure to watch the time and put in and take out the fabric at the same time.
This lab was done to demonstrate the scientific method and how to follow the procedure of it. The lab demonstrated a control, a dependent variable, and an independent variable. It showed us how to have a high quality scientific study. From this lab I learned how to create a hypothesis, gather data, and interpret the data, which helps me understand the concept of the scientific method. We also learned how to collect information and write a conclusion. Based on my experience from this lab I can apply this to all other labs and experiments in the future. Some things to help future biologists with this experiment is to have a group or maybe even a class vote on what they think the ratings should be for each square of fabric. This lab was important because it taught us the six steps of the scientific method and how to use and complete each step of it.
Concentration (% bleach)
|
Average Color Removal (scale 1-10)
|
Average Fabric Damage (scale 1-10)
|
100
|
5.7
|
4
|
50
|
4
|
2.6
|
25
|
0.3
|
2.3
|
12.5
|
0.3
|
2.6
|
0
|
0
|
0.6
|
