Which Brand of Paper
Towel Is The Most
Absorbent?
The Scientific Method
Brands of Paper Towels
Bounty
 Brawny
 Viva by Kleenex
 Colortex

My Hypothesis
Based on my research, I think that the Bounty paper towels
will be the most absorbent. I learned that the absorbency of
paper towels is based upon the plies (some are 1-ply, others
are 2-ply and typically, the higher the ply, the higher the
absorbency rate), creping, and embossing. Creping is when
the fiber-to-fiber bonds in the paper towel are split up.
Embossing is when the surface of the paper towel is changed
from a flat to shaped surface. That is why there are
patterns/designs within the paper towel; the raised areas
allow there to be more room for the water to flow through
the towel and be absorbed. Companies do these processes
differently, and that is why the brands have different
absorbencies.
The Bounty paper towels are 2-ply, and have a high rate of
creping and embossing.
Variables In This Experiment
Control Variable: The liquid being
absorbed (water) and the amount of
water originally in the measuring cup are
the control variables in this experiment.
 Independent Variable: The independent
variable is the brands of paper towels
being used.
 Dependent Variable: The dependent
variable in this experiment is the amount
of liquid each paper towel absorbed.

Materials
In this experiment, you will need:
 Different brands of paper towels (In this
case: Bounty, Brawny,Viva, and Colortex.)
 A measuring cup
 Water
 A trash can
 Paper and pencil (to take notes)
My Procedures
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Take one paper towel from each of the different paper towel rolls.
Make sure they are the same size—use two half-sheets to equal a
whole sheet.
Using the measuring cup, measure out 6 ounces of water.
Place one of the paper towels all the way into the water and let it
absorb as much as it can.
Then, take the paper towel out of the water, and throw it away.
Make note of what brand of paper towel it was and how much
water is still in the measuring cup (subtract the amount left in the
cup from 6 ounces and you will get how much water was
absorbed).
Pour out the remaining water, and completely dry out the
measuring cup.
Repeat these steps for each brand of paper towel.
Compare notes—see which paper towel absorbed the most
amount of liquid.
My Observations
Trial Number
Brand
Price/SqFt
One
Two
Three
Average
Bounty
$0.039
2.0
2.2
2.1
2.10
Brawny
$0.036
2.0
2.2
2.0
2.07
Viva
$0.037
1.8
1.7
2.0
1.83
Colortex
$0.013
0.8
1.1
1.0
0.97
Note: All numbers are in ounces.
My Conclusion
In conclusion, my hypothesis was correct; the Bounty
paper towels are the most absorbent (It was also the
most expensive.). Coming close behind was the
Brawny towels, by only .03 ounces of difference. I
realized that the embossing markings and the
thickness of the paper towel were important in
determining the absorbency.
There were many problems with this experiment, such
as the water dripping off of the paper towel back into
the measuring cup after I had taken it out. If I were to
conduct this experiment again, I would find ways to
prevent this—I would try to move more quickly in
throwing the paper towels away. Also, I could use
more brands of paper towels and more trials to help
get more accurate results.