Fading Jeans

What concentration of bleach is best to fade the color out of new denim material in 10 minutes without visible damage to the fabric? Through the experiment, we have concluded that the higher the concentration of bleach, the better the color fades. When full strength bleach was used, the average color removal was eight. After that, the color average kept going down. At fifty percent concentration of bleach, the average was five and two-thirds. When it reached zero percent concentration of bleach, there was no color removal at all. For all the concentrations of bleach, there were no visible signs of damage. This evidence proved that higher concentration of bleach provides more color fade.

Concentration(% bleach)	Average Color Removal (Scale 1-10)	Average Fabric Damage (Scale 1-10)
100	8	0
50	5.66	0
25	3.66	0
12.5	0.66	0
0	0	0

While our hypothesis was supported by our data, there could have been errors that affected our result. Firstly, the measurements that we made could have been slightly off. When we were supposed to measure thirty milliliters of bleach, we could have measured twenty eight or thirty three. When we were supposed to measure twenty milliliters of water, we could have done eighteen or twenty three. These few milliliters could always make a difference in the color of the jeans or how much the jeans are rinsed. This problem can’t be completely taken away, but to control it, all you have to do is be more careful and pay attention to your measurements. A second error could have been that the color of the jeans weren't completely constant. Some squares of jeans were just a little darker or a little lighter than the others. This could have maybe brought the average of full strength bleach down to seven or even up to ten. While it is likely that the conclusion would have remained the same, the data in the experiment might not have been completely accurate. To control this, you can find completely dark jeans which have the same color throughout to find more accurate results.

The purpose of this lab was to find a way to fade out the color of jeans. Through this experiment, we actually got to use the scientific method first hand and learn how to create a high quality scientific study. This experiment could be a simple way to teach students about the scientific method, or it could be used in the real world for people who like fading out their jeans.