Jean Lab

     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 a 100% concentration of bleach fades the jeans the most, but it causes some damage to the jeans themselves. The 50% concentration of bleach solution faded the denim best without causing much damage to the jeans. In a data table used to collect information about the lab, the color and damage to the denim was ranked from one to ten. The damage to jeans from O% concentration, 12.5% concentration, and 25% concentration was ranked at 0. The average color change for the 50% denim was 5, and the damage was 2. However, for the 100% jeans, the color change was 8, but the damage was ranked at 3. The jeans that were soaked into 100% bleach were whitish and yellow, while the 50% solution denim were light blue. This data supports our claim because the 50% jeans had the least damage while fading the jeans to a light blue color. The 100% jeans were damaged and a yellowish color. Therefore, the jeans soaked with the 50% solution were faded the best without much visible damage.
     While our hypothesis was supported by our data, there could have been errors due to the fact that the jeans were washed for a slightly longer time than the procedure said. This in turn could have made all the colors of the jeans more blue than they were supposed to be. Our data contradicts the expected results because we rounded our averages to the nearest whole number. This may have made the data less precise than it would have been with decimals in them. Due to these errors, in future experiments I would recommend to start and stop timers and parts of the experiment more accurately, and I would also make the data averages more precise by rounding to the nearest tenth or hundredth of a number.
     This lab was done to demonstrate our understanding of the scientific method and our ability to use it with reliability. From this lab I learned how to actively use the scientific method and not just know about it. This will help me understand the concept of doing labs properly, safely, and in the correct way. Now I can use the method whenever I do any other lab in this class. Based on my experience from this lab, I will do labs related to biology in the right way while following a procedure, collecting data, and writing a conclusion based on the scientific method.