Go Ahead - Stay Out in the Rain!

If you are one who doesn't like to come in out of the rain, with a little sense you can puddle jump to your heart's content - a little sense about the absorbency of fabrics, that is!

Obviously some clothes are better to wear in the rain than others. Why is that? Well, it has to do with how different materials either absorb or repel water. If a fabric gets wet it is because the chemical properties of the cloth have allowed water to penetrate, or be absorbed, in-between the fabric's polymer molecules.

To demonstrate this, Phillips Petroleum Polymer Chemist Paul DesLauriers and elementary teacher Joann DesLauriers, created a series of quick, fun experiments you can try with things readily at hand, either at school or at home.

This is what you will need:

• Water
• An eyedropper
• Cotton ball
• A patch of nylon or other synthetic fabric

Since all the fabrics are everyday materials, before you get started with the experiment do a little predicting or what scientists call "theorizing." You might even want to write your theories in a science log where you can also record results. Now test those theories by conducting this experiment: apply water to each of the fabrics. What happens? Which fabrics swell? Which would you wear and why?

To further your research of material absorbency properties, Paul and Joann suggest drying wet doll clothes made from the above materials. While some fabrics stay drier because they absorb less water, once wet they also dry differently.

Do both these experiments and you'll know which coat to reach for in the next rain shower!