Grades K–2 · Materials & Matter
How can tiny plant fibers become a sheet of paper?
A sheet of paper looks smooth, but it is made of many tiny plant fibers. The fibers are like very small threads. Trees, cotton and other plants can supply them.
In the diagramPaper is a mat of joined plant fibersThe fibers are much thinner than the drawing showsFibers in waterDry sheetWater keeps fibers apartMany tiny contacts holdAs water leaves, fibers meet and bond into one sheet.
During papermaking, the fibers are mixed with water. As water drains away, the fibers settle together in a thin mat. More water leaves as the mat is pressed and dried.
The fibers now touch in many places. Tiny bonds at those contacts help hold the sheet together. Basic paper does not need added glue to become a sheet. The drawing makes the fibers big enough to see; real paper contains far more of them.
About this explanation
Starting knowledge: Compare loose pieces with a joined sheet and recognize wet and dry materials.
Sources
- Georgia Tech Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking — Fiber + Pulp
- North Carolina State University — Definitions and concepts: Hydrogen Bonding