Spinning Solutions

Spinning Solutions Activity Card Richie has been to the Startown History Museum with his friends. They visited a display of inventions from the past. Richie’s favourite invention was a mangle. People used mangles to dry out clothes after they had been washed. The museum guide said now washing machines dry out clothes by spinning around really fast. My clothes are still wet when they come out of the washing machine. I think a mangle would be better. Can you help me find out which is best? Your challenge Help Richie find out the best way to separate water from his clothes. You can make models to help you decide! Discuss Have you ever washed clothes by hand? How do you get the water out of them? How does a mangle work? Why does a washing machine drum spin around really fast?

Getting started Plan what you are going to do: • Compare the amount of water you can separate from the fabric using a mangle and a washing machine drum. Think about how you can make this a fair test. • Soak two pieces of the same fabric in water. • Separate the water from one piece of fabric using your mangle and the other piece using your washing machine drum. Make a model of a washing machine drum: • First, make holes in a tub that has a lid. • Next, put this inside a bigger tub with a lid to collect the water. • Now you can spin this around at your side in a strong bag. • Remember! Don’t let go as you spin it. • A washing machine can spin around more than 1000 times every minute to separate water from your clothes. How fast can you spin your drum? Make a model mangle: • A rolling pin is a good model of a mangle. • Roll your fabric on a sloping surface. • Remember to put something underneath to collect the water! Test your ideas You might like to record your results in a table like this one: How much water was removed from the fabric? Mangle Washing machine drum spun slowly Washing machine drum spun fast Washing machine drum with lots of small holes Washing machine drum with a few small holes Washing machine drum with lots of big holes Washing machine drum with a few big holes Share your ideas Were there any problems with your tests? Why? How could you improve your tests? Take photographs of your investigation and your models. Send your pictures to Richie to help him decide how to dry his clothes. Extra things to do Find out about other things that can be separated by spinning. Find out how separating by spinning can help to generate electricity. Find out how separating by spinning can help in medicine. British Science Association Registered Charity No. 212479 and SC039236