Newspaper goes on diet!!

Iamme · 5th November 2003, 04:01 PM

I'm good at coming up with the strangest things. Here's one more:

Two says ago, my newspaper got soaking wet. Literally. I had to put it over something ontop my heater to dry it out. When it dried out completely the next morning, I lifted the paper off the stand-rig that I made. The paper felt stiff...was crinkled.. and was as light as a feather.

It was 12 pages. In amazement, I layed it on the palm of my hand and gave it a little heave in the air...several times in succession. Yes...it was just like it became feather light. So then I decided to fetch a normal newspaper out of my recycling. It too just so happened to be 12 pages. I felt each of them. The normal paper felt way heavier...so it seemed.

Today, I decided to take both papers down to the post office's 1/100 ounce sensitive scale. (Ain't I nuts? Don't answer that.

) I found out that the ex-water logged paper weighed 3.6 oz. and the normal one weighed 3.7 oz. I repeated the test several times. Came out the same each time.

It wasn't as big of a difference as I thought. But non the less, it was a respectable difference, percentage wise ( I guess a little under 3%). So why did I percieve such a BIG difference in weight? The combination of two thiongs: The fact that it indeed actually weighed less. And the fact that when the wet newpaper dried out, it became stiff and would not bend, and was crinkled. This caused the my hand not to have as many molecules of paper touching my hand. Also, the normal newspaper would droop down the sides of my hand and you could feel this pull...where the ex-wet newspaper would not do this. It seemed to just float in the palm of my hand.

So you might say actual weight loss plus other deceptions created the illusion that the dried out paper weighed a lot less.

I had my friend tonight rest each paper in the palm of his hand and I had him tell me which one, if any, weighed more. He said the normal one...for sure. He tried it in both his right and left hands...switching hands.

This would be an experiment any of you who are curious about, could perform yourself.

Now, I shall close, with the mystery. Where did that 1/10 of an ounce go? [To rule out variances in papers (which I doubt), I will test a couple more 12 pages of newspper to see if these both produce 3.7 ounces.]

zakur · 5th November 2003, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Iamme
Now, I shall close, with the mystery. Where did that 1/10 of an ounce go? [To rule out variances in papers (which I doubt), I will test a couple more 12 pages of newspper to see if these both produce 3.7 ounces.]

I suspect that your waterlogged paper had some moisture content before it was soaked -- be it from the ink that has not dried completely or perhaps just absorbing moisture from the environment. When you dried it over your heater, you reduced the moisture content below its orginal levels.

Subject a regular newspaper (one that has not been soaked) to the same drying procedure, and see if its weight changes.

Wile E. Coyote · 6th November 2003, 06:40 AM

Newspapers, and paper in general, are vulnerable to heat and moisture extremes. When you allowed the paper to get wet, and then dried it, you actually killed the paper.

The .1 ounces that the paper lost was actually the paper's soul. Next time be more careful.

Iamme · 6th November 2003, 03:20 PM

Wile E. !!!!

zakur---Time to let this thread die. You were absolutely correct. I took the same newspaper that did NOT get wet...that I weighed at 3.7 ounces, and put it over the heat register over night. Today I re-weighed it. It now is 3.6 oz. I also took several 12-page papers and weighed them. 2 of the three weighed 3.7....and the 3rd weighed 3.6. And I discovered something ELSE disappointing: That scale I said was 1/100 ounce sensitive? It's only 1/10 sensitive. Even though it reads in the 1/100ths...it can only change by 1/10ths. That means that when one paper says 3.7, it MAY really be 3.66...and when another paper weighs at 3.6, it may really be 3.64...only .02 difference, possibly. A very insignificant amount.

Yes, all I probably did was dry excess moisture from the house out of the paper.

But...that phenomenon of how the paper feels lighter when it becomes stiff and crinkly is quite the interesting illusion. If you are bored sometime..give this experiment a try, and then ask people to feel each paper.

shemp · 6th November 2003, 05:12 PM

So if I sit on one of the heaters overnight, I can lose 3% of my weight? WOW! In two weeks I'll be normal weight!

5th November 2003, 04:01 PM	#1
Iamme Illuminator Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Western Wisconsin Posts: 4,622	Newspaper goes on diet!! I'm good at coming up with the strangest things. Here's one more: Two says ago, my newspaper got soaking wet. Literally. I had to put it over something ontop my heater to dry it out. When it dried out completely the next morning, I lifted the paper off the stand-rig that I made. The paper felt stiff...was crinkled.. and was as light as a feather. It was 12 pages. In amazement, I layed it on the palm of my hand and gave it a little heave in the air...several times in succession. Yes...it was just like it became feather light. So then I decided to fetch a normal newspaper out of my recycling. It too just so happened to be 12 pages. I felt each of them. The normal paper felt way heavier...so it seemed. Today, I decided to take both papers down to the post office's 1/100 ounce sensitive scale. (Ain't I nuts? Don't answer that. ) I found out that the ex-water logged paper weighed 3.6 oz. and the normal one weighed 3.7 oz. I repeated the test several times. Came out the same each time. It wasn't as big of a difference as I thought. But non the less, it was a respectable difference, percentage wise ( I guess a little under 3%). So why did I percieve such a BIG difference in weight? The combination of two thiongs: The fact that it indeed actually weighed less. And the fact that when the wet newpaper dried out, it became stiff and would not bend, and was crinkled. This caused the my hand not to have as many molecules of paper touching my hand. Also, the normal newspaper would droop down the sides of my hand and you could feel this pull...where the ex-wet newspaper would not do this. It seemed to just float in the palm of my hand. So you might say actual weight loss plus other deceptions created the illusion that the dried out paper weighed a lot less. I had my friend tonight rest each paper in the palm of his hand and I had him tell me which one, if any, weighed more. He said the normal one...for sure. He tried it in both his right and left hands...switching hands. This would be an experiment any of you who are curious about, could perform yourself. Now, I shall close, with the mystery. Where did that 1/10 of an ounce go? [To rule out variances in papers (which I doubt), I will test a couple more 12 pages of newspper to see if these both produce 3.7 ounces.]
	__________________ I lost my mind many years ago and it hasn't affected me a bit...a bit..a bit..a bit.

5th November 2003, 04:26 PM	#2
zakur Illuminator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Dayton, OH Posts: 3,265	Re: Newspaper goes on diet!! Quote: Originally posted by Iamme Now, I shall close, with the mystery. Where did that 1/10 of an ounce go? [To rule out variances in papers (which I doubt), I will test a couple more 12 pages of newspper to see if these both produce 3.7 ounces.] I suspect that your waterlogged paper had some moisture content before it was soaked -- be it from the ink that has not dried completely or perhaps just absorbing moisture from the environment. When you dried it over your heater, you reduced the moisture content below its orginal levels. Subject a regular newspaper (one that has not been soaked) to the same drying procedure, and see if its weight changes.
	__________________ "I do not believe in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." -Thomas Carlyle "That's the problem these days: nobody thinks of the tumors." -steinhenge

6th November 2003, 03:20 PM	#4
Iamme Illuminator Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Western Wisconsin Posts: 4,622	Wile E. !!!! zakur---Time to let this thread die. You were absolutely correct. I took the same newspaper that did NOT get wet...that I weighed at 3.7 ounces, and put it over the heat register over night. Today I re-weighed it. It now is 3.6 oz. I also took several 12-page papers and weighed them. 2 of the three weighed 3.7....and the 3rd weighed 3.6. And I discovered something ELSE disappointing: That scale I said was 1/100 ounce sensitive? It's only 1/10 sensitive. Even though it reads in the 1/100ths...it can only change by 1/10ths. That means that when one paper says 3.7, it MAY really be 3.66...and when another paper weighs at 3.6, it may really be 3.64...only .02 difference, possibly. A very insignificant amount. Yes, all I probably did was dry excess moisture from the house out of the paper. But...that phenomenon of how the paper feels lighter when it becomes stiff and crinkly is quite the interesting illusion. If you are bored sometime..give this experiment a try, and then ask people to feel each paper.
	__________________ I lost my mind many years ago and it hasn't affected me a bit...a bit..a bit..a bit.

6th November 2003, 05:12 PM	#5
shemp Timothy, Timothy, where on earth did you go? Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: trapped in a cave-in with Joe Posts: 12,893	So if I sit on one of the heaters overnight, I can lose 3% of my weight? WOW! In two weeks I'll be normal weight!
	__________________ Church on Sunday, sleep and nod Tryin' to duck the wrath of God Preacher's fillin' us with fright Tryin' to tell us what he thinks is right He really got to be some kind of nut (I can't use it!) Tryin' to make it real - compared to what?

6th November 2003, 06:40 AM	#3
Wile E. Coyote Critical Thinker Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 342	Newspapers, and paper in general, are vulnerable to heat and moisture extremes. When you allowed the paper to get wet, and then dried it, you actually killed the paper. The .1 ounces that the paper lost was actually the paper's soul. Next time be more careful.