Activity to Demonstrate that Synthetic Fibres Absorb Less Water than Natural Fibres

To demonstrate that synthetic fibres absorb less water than natural fibres, we can conduct a simple experiment.

Materials Required:
- Synthetic fibre (e.g. nylon)
- Natural fibre (e.g. cotton)
- Water
- Two containers
- Weighing scale
- Stopwatch

Procedure:
1. Cut a small piece of synthetic fibre and a small piece of natural fibre.
2. Weigh both pieces of fibre using a weighing scale and record their weights.
3. Fill two separate containers with the same amount of water.
4. Put the synthetic fibre in one container and the natural fibre in the other container.
5. Start the stopwatch and let the fibres soak in the water for five minutes.
6. After five minutes, take out both fibres from the containers and gently squeeze out the excess water.
7. Weigh the fibres again and record their weights.
8. Calculate the difference in weight before and after soaking for both fibres.
9. Compare the differences in weight between the two fibres.

Observations:
- The synthetic fibre would weigh less after soaking in water compared to its initial weight.
- The natural fibre would weigh more after soaking in water compared to its initial weight.
- The difference in weight between the two fibres would be greater for the natural fibre.

Explanation:
The experiment demonstrates that synthetic fibres absorb less water than natural fibres. Synthetic fibres are made of polymers that are hydrophobic, meaning they repel water. On the other hand, natural fibres are made of cellulose, which is hydrophilic, meaning it attracts water. Therefore, natural fibres absorb more water than synthetic fibres.

Conclusion:
Through this experiment, we can conclude that synthetic fibres absorb less water than natural fibres due to their hydrophobic nature. This property of synthetic fibres makes them more suitable for certain applications, such as swimwear, raincoats, and outdoor gear.

The activity that shows, synthetic fibres absorb less water is:
INGREDIENTS-A synthetic cloth(nylon), a natural fibre cloth(cotton), two buckets and water.

PROCESS- Fill both the buckets with equal amount of water. Soak both cloths in buckets. Leave them for few hours. After some hours, check the level of water in both the buckets.
CONCLUSION- The bucket soaked with nylon cloth has more water than the bucket soaked with cotton cloth. This shows synthetic fibres absorb less water.