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Skim or Soak Lab Report

Lara Glendening and Marilynn Hunt

March 19, 2019

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Abstract

In this experiment, we tested the best method of soaking up the oil. We tested two

different methods: leaving the sorbent to soak up the oil and skimming it across the

surface of the oil. We used cooking tins filled with 6 cups of salt water to 2 cups of oil.

We used cotton fiber as our sorbent since we determined in our previous experiment

that it was the most effective. In the first set of trials, we left a square of cotton fiber to

soak for 2 minutes. In the second, we pulled it back and forth for 2 minutes. In the

“soak” trials, the cotton absorbed an average of 28.3 mL of oil. In the “skim” trials, it

absorbed an average of 33.3 mL of oil. Because of this, we concluded that the “skim”

method was the most effective. This makes sense because the sorbent is able to reach

more oil.
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Table of Contents

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………...….4

Method………………………………………………………………………………………....4-6

Results……………………………………………………………………………………...….6-8

Discussion…………………………………………………………………………………......8-9

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………..….10

References…………………………………………………………………………………......10

Appendix………………………………………………………………………………………..11
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Introduction

There are many existing methods of oil spill cleanup, including sponges to soak up the

oil and skimmers to skim oil off the surface. In this experiment, we wanted to find out if

these two methods can be combined. In order to test this, we must first know how to

measure volume. Since the measurements in beakers can be inaccurate, we used the

volume equation to verify our measurements.

2​
V=​
πr​ h
Equation 1: Volume of a Cylinder

In this experiment, we will conduct multiple trials using a soaking method and a

skimming method to answer the question, “can a sponge be used like a skimmer to

increase the amount of oil it reaches?” We hypothesize that the answer to this question

will be yes since the skimming method allows the sponge to cover more surface area.

Methods

Squares of cotton fiber were first skimmed across the surface oil for 2 minutes, then

soaked in the oil for 2 minutes. Each trial was repeated three times. The amount of oil

squeezed out of each sponge was recorded after each trial.

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Apparatus:

The experimental apparatus includes three large disposable cooking tins, which are

each filled with 6 cups of salt water and 2 cups of oil. During the “skim” trial, tweezers

are used to glide a 3.75” by 3.75” square of cotton fiber back and forth across the

surface. During the “soak” trial, a cotton fiber square of the same dimensions soaks in

the middle of the tub. A 500 mL graduated cylinder was used to measure and pour the

oil, a 2 cup measuring cup was used for the water, and a 500 mL beaker was used to

measure the amount of oil squeezed out of the cotton fiber sponge after each trial.

There was also a timer to ensure each trial was the same length.

Figure 1: Digital Drawing of Apparatus

Figure 2: Sketch of the Apparatus

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A detailed list of the equipment used in this experiment and their uncertainties is shown

in Table 1.

Equipment Uncertainty

500 mL graduated cylinder +/- 5 mL

500 mL beaker +/- 5 mL

2 cup measuring cup +/- 2 tbsp

Table 1: uncertainty of equipment

Procedure:

1. Fill a tub with 6 cups of water, add salt, and wait until it is at room temperature
2. Add 2 cups of oil and let it sit for 1 minute
3. Hold the sponge with tweezers and glide it across the top of the water from one
end of the tub to the other for 2 minutes
4. Measure how much liquid it has absorbed, and how much of the liquid was oil
and how much was water (do this in a beaker so that they separate)
5. Repeat step 1-2 but then drop the sponge into the tub and leave it there for 2
minutes
6. Measure how much liquid it has absorbed, and how much of the liquid was oil
and how much was water (do this in a beaker so that they separate)
7. Repeat 3 times

Results

The skimming method resulted in more oil being soaked up than the soaking method.

The values of oil absorbed in each trial appear in table 2. The skimming method

averaged 33.3 mL of oil-soaked up, while the soaking method averaged 28.3 mL.
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Trial Oil soaked up Uncertainty

Skim 1 30 mL +/- 5 mL

Skim 2 35 mL +/- 5 mL

Skim 3 35 mL +/- 5 mL

Average for skim 33.3 mL +/- 5 mL

Soak 1 35 mL +/- 5 mL

Soak 2 25 mL +/- 5 mL

Soak 3 25 mL +/- 5 mL

Average for soak 28.3 mL +/- 5 mL

Table 2: Results of Experiment

The results and uncertainties were then graphed to visualize the data. Error bars were

created using the uncertainty of the measuring materials.

Figure 3: Experimental Results

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The data shows that the “skim” method absorbed more oil than the “soak” method,

though there is error to take into account.

Discussion

Our driving question in this experiment was whether or not a skimming motion increases

the amount of oil soaked up by a cotton fiber sponge. Based on the data collected in out

experiments, we can confirm that it does increase the amount of oil collected. The

average amount of oil soaked up during the skim experiment, 33.3 mL, is 5 mL more

than the amount of oil soaked up during the soak experiment (28.5 mL). Although our

apparatus did have an uncertainty value of +/- 5, we believe that there was an outlier in

the soak data caused by human error, and the soak average should have actually been

lower. This will be explained further in our error analysis.

The results seemed to follow a general pattern, except for one outlier. The amount of oil

collected in the first soak trial is 35 mL, which is 10 mL higher than either of the other

values for the soak method. In fact, it was the highest value collected in the entire

experiment, along with one other 35 mL value in the skim trial (which is much more

consistent with the other results). Because this value is so anomalous, it can be ruled as

an outlier. We believe that it ended up so high because there was extra oil in the

graduated cylinder we used to measure the oil collected by the sponge. It was the first

measurement we did after using the same graduated cylinder to pour oil into the tub,

and we believe there was some oil left over at the bottom that inflated the number. It is
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impossible to tell how much oil it was, which is why we would like to run more repeats of

the experiment to obtain more accurate data.

Another possible source of error is in our measuring. It is possible that the amounts of

water, salt, and oil in each tub may have differed, so the experiment may not have been

fully controlled. Also, the size of the cotton fiber squares may not have been exactly the

same. If we repeat this experiment, we would like to obtain more accurate measuring

tools.

Along with repeats of the same experiment, we would like to do further experiments

branching off of this one. We would like to test more practical methods of skimming the

sponge back and forth, since using tweezers is highly impractical in the real world.

Some ideas are a drone to pull the sponge back and forth or a boat to drag it through

the water. Another experiment we would like to perform is one that would determine the

best shape for our sponge that would allow it to reach and soak up the most oil. Along

with these experiments would come considerations about the size of the sponge,

especially in relation to what will be dragging it.

Overall, we came to the conclusion that a skimming method is the best way to collect

surface oil, confirming our hypothesis.

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Conclusion/Summary

Our data showed that a skimming method is more effective than a soaking method for

collecting surface oil. The skimming method collected an average of 33.3 mL of oil,

while the soaking method collected an average of 28.3 mL. This is because it is able to

reach more oil instead of only collecting oil from one place. Due to human error in

measurements, we would like to do more trials of this experiment. We would also like to

conduct experiments to determine the shape of our sponge and the mechanism that will

drag it through the water. These experiments are possible now that we have determined

the basic method of collecting oil for our sponge.

References

“EPA's Response Techniques.” ​EPA,​ Environmental Protection Agency, 30 Jan. 2018,

www.epa.gov/emergency-response/epas-response-techniques​.

“Cleaning up the Oil Spill.” ​Science Learning Hub​, 11 Jan. 2012,​ ​www.sciencelearn​.
org.nz/resources/1140-cleaning-up-the-oil-spill.
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Appendix