Jean Lab

8-28-15

Jean Lab Conclusion

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 visible damage to the fabric?”. We found that the solution with 100% bleach affected the jeans the most, probably because there was no dilution. Out of the fifteen denim samples, the three that were soaked in 100% bleach ended up the lightest, and with the most damage. Bleach is known to lighten the color of fabrics and widely used to clean stains or discoloration off clothes. This data supports our claim because it explains why the result of the bleached denim was lighter than the original color.

While our hypothesis was supported by our data, which was that the jeans would become lighter when mixed with bleach, there could have been errors due to our lack of accuracy. First, we didn’t soak all three denim pieces in a solution at once, but rather did each one at a time so each piece could have the same amount of bleach surrounding it. Though this may have proven better results, we didn’t watch the time very closely and some were in the bleach or water wash for too long or little time. Also, since we were washing each square one at a time, the water washes got contaminated with bleach. The first square would have gotten a clean wash while the fifteenth square would’ve been washed in a bleach-water solution.  Due to these errors, in future experiments I would recommend following the directions more carefully and have a completely set plan before starting the experiment.

This lab was done to demonstrate the procedures and layouts of most labs in Mr. Orre’s biology class. From this lab I learned how to carry out an experiment which helps me understand the concept of the scientific method, and how scientists apply it in their work. Based on my experience from this lab I can move forward to other experiments and models by using the skeleton framework that we used in this lab assignment.

Concentration (% bleach)	Average Color Removal (0-10 0: none 10: all)	Average Fabric Damage (0-10 0: none 10: all)
100%	7.3	2
50%	5	2
25%	1.3	1.7
12.5%	1	1
0 %	0	0