Jean Lab Conclusion

Jean Lab Conclusion

In this lab we investigated what concentration of bleach would best fade denim jeans with minimum damage to the fabric. We found that 25% bleach was the best concentration. Denim jean samples tested with the 100% solution were completely faded to a yellow color, and were thinner than the other samples. The 50% solution caused the jeans to fade to lesser yellow, but still damaged. The 25% solution didn’t fade the jeans that much, but there was no yellowing or noticeable damage. The 12.5% solution didn’t produce any noticeable difference to the fabric. The 0% solution was our control for comparison. Bleach is a well known substance used for removing color from fabrics. It is also an acid, and will damage fabrics. Therefore, the higher concentrations of bleach faded the fabric, but also caused damage to them, so an amount high enough to fade, but low enough to not damage the fabric was needed.

While our hypothesis was supported by our data, there could have been errors due to measurement errors caused by spills while pouring liquids, and also some pieces of denim had slightly more bleach exposure than others. These errors may have caused some denim samples to have faded more or less than they would have if they were all exposed for the exact same amount of time. In future experiments, we could be more careful with measuring and pouring liquids, and have more people add and remove the samples from any solutions to ensure that they have all had equal treatment.

This lab was done to demonstrate the steps of the scientific method and how to properly run an experiment. From this lab I learned how to make an experiment successful, and how I can make sure future experiments are mostly free of mistakes, which helps me understand the concepts of controls, variables, and hypotheses. Based on my experience from this lab, I will be able to use the scientific method to answer other scientific questions.

Concentration of Bleach	Average Fading (1 to 10)
0%	0
12.5%	1
25%	4
50%	6.6
100%	9.3
Concentration of Bleach	Average Damage of Fabric (1 to 10)
0%	0
12.5%	0
25%	1
50%	3
100%	5.5