Some students choose to compare brands of tissue, and others choose to compare types – like one or two ply, scented or non, or pre-moistened. To do this project, you need tissue samples, a scale with close tolerances (that means it shows the weight in very small increments – like ounces or milligrams), jars, water, and a screen. We used the scale at the post office, and yes, we did get some funny looks weighing toilet paper tissue. You could possibly also use the scale at the grocery store or pharmacist if you ask nicely and flash a winning smile.

To do this, you weigh the tissue samples, soak them in water for a period of time, ‘flush’ them through a funnel, let the non-flushed tissue dry, then compare the weight of the pre-soaked tissue to the post-soaked tissue. It’s a very easy and inexpensive project to do. It’s fun and you’ll learn a lot. And, yes, it has been a winner at the science fair!

To get step by step instructions for this experiment – plus reference materials and pre-formatted graphs/charts, get our package of science project guides. Our guides can’t guarantee you’ll win at the science fair, but if you ask us – any time you learn something and learn to love science more – you have a winning science project!

PS Note that this is a 24 Hour Science Project. Get yours now here, and be finished by this time tomorrow!

With today’s increased awareness of how important it is to take care of the environment, it’s great when kids can do a science experiment with results that could change the way their own family takes care of the earth. Our toilet paper experiment (or – as the supermarket calls it – “bathroom tissue”), does just that! A Straight Flush helps kids find out which toilet tissue is the most biodegradable. The results of the experiment may influence what brand of toilet paper that home purchases.

A Straight Flush compares the weight of tissue samples before and after spending time in our ’simulated’ toilet. It requires really accurate scales, which can be expensive. We’re cheap at our house, so we opted to use the scales in the post office. (You could also ask to use the scales at a pharmacy or at a grocery store.) We still laugh at the thought of how it looked for us to traipse into the post office with samples of toilet paper.

Whatever it takes for our kids!

PS Toilet Tissue science projects are just gross enough to be great Middle School Science Projects!

Go here to read more about toilet paper and septic systems.

1. Find out if salt affects the boiling point of water. Using distilled water, measure the temperature at which water boils with different amounts of salt added. This easy experiment can be done fast – in under an hour!

2. Test types of insulation to see which works best. Freeze bottles of water, insulate them with various building materials, and see which one stays frozen the longest. This is science project is great for students concerned about our environment.

3. Make a tornado. Simply half fill a clear 2 liter soda bottle with water, and swirl it until it makes a tornado. This is an easy elementary demonstration, that probably won’t win the science fair, but will fascinate younger students while allowing them to observe swirling currents. (We bet you’ll get a kick out of it, too!)

4. Measure the amount of oxygen that is in air. Put duct tape on a hand warmer, activate it, and quickly tape it to the bottom of a tall jar. Invert the jar and put the mouth into a pan of water. As the hand warmer heats up, it will use up the oxygen in the glass, causing the water level to rise. If you’re traveling to and from the mountains and compare the amounts of oxygen, this is a great experiment. Otherwise, it’s a cool demonstration.

5. Compare brands of toilet tissue to see which is most biodegradable. Weigh samples of different brands of tissue, place them in water and allow them to break down. After a day, ‘flush’ the samples through a funnel, then weigh what is left. Your results may change your shopping habits! Get the instructions for this earth science project here.

Earth Science Project Instructions

Detailed instructions on these earth science projects – and a free parent’s guide to science projects – are at 24 Hour Science Projects.