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“ Which Fabric burns the fastest?”

By Isabel B.

science fair project

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purpose

My purpose was to find which type of fabric burns the slowest.

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the fabrics

Polyester Cotton Acrylic Nylon

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hypothesis

Out of the four different fabrics (acrylic, polyester, cotton, and nylon), I think that acrylic will burn the slowest because it is heavier and more densely woven.

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materials

  • Bic lighter
  • fabric squares 5 in. by 5 in.
  • Well ventilated non-flammable place to burn the fabrics
  • Adult
  • Fire extinguisher  
  • Stopwatch
  • White foam board measured in 1 inch squares
  • Metal clamp to hold the fabrics

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procedure

  • First, I will get the fabric: acrylic, cotton, nylon, and polyester.  
  • Then, I will cut them into 5 inch by 5 inch squares.  
  • Next, I will burn the fabrics using a Bic lighter to produce a constant flame.
  •  Two pieces of each fabric will be burned.  The time will stop when the fabric stops

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results

FABRIC TYPE

AVERAGE BURN TIME

Nylon

15.7 seconds

Cotton

22.2 seconds

Polyester

26.7 seconds

Acrylic

49.55 seconds

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conclusion

Acrylic had the slowest burn time but it also had the largest and most intense flame.  My research showed that fabric weave is an important variable.  Another variable is the flammability of the fabric, which is not the same as it’s burn time.  If I were to do this experiment again I would try to select fabrics with similar weave and flammability.