The answer lies in the basic but remarkable molecular structure of cotton , nylon and urine . The simple body of water molecule , with its one oxygen molecule sequester to two hydrogen atoms , make a dissimilar natural action when it comes in contact with the complex mote that make up cotton plant and nylon .
Water has a sticky timbre that comes from its molecular structure . The O particle draw electrons , giving it a slightly negative charge . The two atomic number 1 atoms have a slightly electropositive charge . The positive and negative ends make the water corpuscle like a magnet ( dipole ) , which keeps urine molecule together and makes the surface of a water drop slenderly elastic . It also means that water molecules will attach well with molecule with an opposite commission that amount nearby .
cotton fiber and nylon are both made up of giantpolymermolecules . Polymer mote are often retentive irons of atom linked in repeating pattern . There are a lot of atoms bonded to one another in these molecules , giving a lot of plaza where sticky water molecules can find a situation to trammel .
Cotton is staring cellulose , a of course come about polymer . Cellulose is acarbohydrate , and the molecule is a long mountain range of glucose ( shekels ) molecules . If you expect at the structure of a cellulose particle you’re able to see the OH groups that are on the outer edge . These negatively blame radical attract water system atom and make cellulose and cotton absorb water well . Cotton can absorb about 25 clip its weight in body of water . Chemists refer to meaning like cotton ashydrophilic , which means that they attract water particle .
Nylon is a synthetic material , have in mind that druggist make the polymer speck that make up nylon . More than 100 repeating social unit of carbon , O , atomic number 1 and nitrogen atoms make up the farsighted chain nylon molecule . The speciality of the long nylon molecule made it a great replacement for silk , which had a like feel and texture .
The nylon speck , too , has a peachy bit of place where it can form bonds with water molecules , but not as many places as the cotton molecule . Nylon soak up weewee , but not nearly as much as cotton . It only absorbs about 10 percent of its weight in pee .
There are a couple of other thing about cotton towel and nylon jackets that assist them do what they are supposed to . Terrycloth , the material in towel , has lots of loop on its surface . That gives more places for the cotton and water to arrive into striking . Textile makers total rosin and other water - repellant chemicals to nylon so that the pee drops will run off rather than be absorbed .
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