...I cut up a disposable diaper, just to see what it looked like.

Many educators already know about this one. Disposable diapers contain a chemical called polyacrylate (sodium polyacrylate). This is the stuff that supermarkets and hospitals sprinkle on spills to turn them into gel, and it's also sold in packets under the name "Squishy Baff". It really is some very cool stuff, and this "experiment" is a great way to get your kids to follow instructions while using their own natural curiosity to pick apart layers, and discover just how much water this polyacrylate can hold.

What you need:

• Disposable diaper
• Scissors
• Water
• A Plate or pan to do the water drop portion

The Procedure:


Step 1: Cut a square out of the diaper



Step 2: Separate the cotton layer from the outside layer. (This peels off pretty easily)



Step 3: The outside layer is actually two layers stuck tightly together,
so you'll need to use your fingernail or edge of the scissors to separate them.
             ( It helps to slightly wet the edge to let some of the polyacrylate
activate, it makes separating these layers easier)



This is the three layers, plus the little parts of the polyacrylate layer I cut out.
The one on the left is dry, the one on the right has water added



The one on the left is dry, the one on the right has had almost two teaspoons
of liquid slowly dripped on it!! These pieces are 1in x 1/2in, imagine
 what the whole diaper would look like!