Absorption Rates of UVA Rays Science Fair Projects

The Sun

The sun is the source of heat and life on Earth. Without it the Earth would be an ice ball with nothing to offer.

Objectives/Goals

The purpose of this project is to identify materials with the ability to absorb UV rays more efficiently to offer better UV protection than clothing currently available.

Methods/Materials

Microscope
Green: 60% cotton, 40% polyester (0.4mm), 0.25 Yd
Blue & White: 100% cotton (0.1 mm), 0.25 Yd
Red 100% nylon (0.1mm), 0.25 Yd
Brown: 58% polyester, 40% rayon, 2% other (0.5mm), 0.25 Yd
Black: 38% polyester, 24% nylon, 38% metallic (0.1mm), 0.25 Yd
Purple 100% cotton (0.2mm), 0.25 Yd
Blue & Green: 65% polyester, 35% cotton (0.2mm), 0.25 Yd
Silver 100% acetate (0.1mm), 0.25 Yd
Red & White: 54% linen, 43% Rayon, 3% spandex (0.3mm), 0.25 Yd
Navy Blue: 100% linen (0.4mm) 0.25 Yd
Pasco GLX Explorer
Pasco UVA Sensor for Pasco GLX Explorer
Mini-USB to USB Connector Cable
Fine Caliper with #mm# measurements
Digital Camera
Computer (PC or Mac) with Pasco DataStudio# V. 1.7 or higher
3 Fluorescent Bulbs: Exo-Terra Reptile Glow 5.0 (5%UVB, 30% UVA), Exo-Terra Reptile Glow 8.0 (8% UVB, 33% UVA, # Hagen T5HO #Marine Glo# 20 W; fluorescent lighting fixture
Tested the materials were also tested against the sun for more accurate results.

Results

Graphs detail the exact results for each material. See conclusion for explanation of results.

Conclusions/Discussion

After testing all the materials and comparing the data results I determined that my initial hypothesis was partially correct. Polyester any Nylon materials do protect better against UV rays than normal clothing, which is usually made out of cotton. However I discovered that fabrics containing large amounts of the fiber Rayon are more efficient and protecting against UV rays than Polyester and Nylon materials. 3rd party contributor