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General Physics Science Fair Project

Clothing Color and UV Protection

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Clothing Color and UV Protection | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
Dark clothes feel warmer in the sun, but do they also block more UV radiation? The answer might change what you choose to wear on a sunny day. You place a UV meter inside a glass aquarium in direct sunlight. Then you cover the top one color at a time with cotton cloth: - black - blue - red - white For each color, you record the UV index reading inside. Black and blue cloth block the most UV rays. White cloth lets almost all of them through.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that light colored clothing will provide better protection from UV light.

Method & Materials

You will measure the UV index outside and inside a glass aquarium covered with different colored clothing.
You will need a black, blue, red, and white cotton cloth, a UV meter, and a glass aquarium.

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Results

The experiment showed that the black and blue cloth were effective at blocking off most UV radiation while the white cloth was the least effective.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting because it shows how the color of clothing can affect the amount of UV radiation you're exposed to.

Also Consider

Variations of this experiment could include using different types of clothing like nylon or polyester, or using other colored clothing like grey, green, etc.

Full project details

Additional information and source material for this project are available below.

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