Hooked on Science: Baby diaper science

Baby diapers contain a special science ingredient that keeps babies dry. Dissect a baby diaper to discover how this material works.

Materials

* Diaper

* Zip-top bag

* Scissors

* Water

* 2 cups

Instructions

STEP 1: Using the scissors, cut open the center of the diaper.

STEP 2: Remove the contents from the inside of the diaper and place the contents inside of the zip-top bag.

STEP 3: Close the zip-top bag and shake the bag until all the tiny white pieces are at the bottom of the bag.

STEP 4: Open the bag and remove all the contents except for the tiny white pieces.

STEP 5: Fill one of the cups half of the way with water and then pour the contents from the zip-top bag into the other cup.

STEP 6: Pour the water into the cup with the tiny white pieces, wait a few seconds, and then attempt to pour the water out.

Explanation

The water did not pour out of the cup because of the tiny white pieces, which are called sodium polyacrylate. This is a super absorbent polymer and absorbs hundreds of times its weight in water.

Jason Lindsey is a science outreach educator with Hooked on Science. Check out his website hookedonscience.org for webcasts and experiments that might get you hooked on science.