Experiment #1: Dancing in the Rain= Fun!!

So I realize my last blog post was perhaps a bit morose.
I really am not that depressed, just sometimes I need to get something off my chest.
I did that once in highschool and kind of scared one of my teachers. It was in Bible class and we were supposed to write a psalm- similar to the psalms found in the book of psalms. Whereas most of the class chose to write praise psalms and strung together a bunch of syrupy sweet Hallelujah's and thank-yous until they reached the required length; I chose to write a gut wrenching psalm of lament that was approx twice the required length. When I received my assignment back there were several comments from my teacher and a lengthy note telling me that if I ever needed to talk to someone he was there. I had no more angst than the average teenager (actually probably a little less) but I think my psalm made my teacher think I was perhaps depressed or suicidal. Ooops!

I don't want you to worry like my teacher did so I thought today I would share something more lighthearted- my most recent experiment. I decided to write it up like a pseudo lab report because.... I can. :) Enjoy!

Raincoat Test in Summer Rainstorm

Introduction: Raincoats are coats made of water repellent materials. They are frequently warn when a person has reason to believe it may rain or is already raining as a precaution against getting too wet. Alternatively they can be used by the wearer as an outer-shell layer to prevent heat loss from strong winds. Raincoats come in a variety of colours and styles. Recently this brilliant scientist purchased a fantastically bright lime green raincoat. The raincoat looks super stunning on the intelligent scientist in question however its efficacy in repelling water has yet to be determined. The following experiment seeks to correct this oversight.

Purpose: To determine the effectiveness of my new raincoat and thoroughly explore its waterproof capabilities during a summer rainstorm.

Materials: 

• raincoat (Northface, women's size large, lime green)
• torrential downpour
• barefeet
• grassy field

Procedure:

1. Look out window and observe precipitation
2. Don raincoat and exit the door
3. Run around like a crazy madwoman  jumping, dancing spinning and frolicking in the rain
4. Record results (options: have sister/bystander videotape/take a picture, use your senses, be creative)

Results: 

Fig. 1 Stunningly dry me (photo courtesy of Karina)

I found the raincoat to be most effective at keeping my upper body warm and dry. There was a small amount of moisture that came in through the cuffs, perhaps wicked in by the long sleeves of my cardigan. I found the hood remained in place nicely and had a good brim, however a strong wind might knock the hood off. The zipper was thoroughly waterproof and draftproof and I found the jacket kept me warm, but not too warm during this late summer shower. (See fig. 1)

Fig. 2 Jeans got very wet (photo courtesy of Karina)

My feet were able to enjoy the softness of the grass and the warmth of the ground. They also enjoyed splashing in puddles and wading through rivulets of water as they streamed down our washed out gravel driveway.

The raincoat failed to keep my bottom half dry and drenched skinny jeans are not comfortable. (See fig. 2)





Conclusion and Discussion: The raincoat was found to provide adequate protection from torrential rain for the upper half of the wearer's body. It did this while also being stylish and comfortable. One concern may be that when facing towards strong winds the hood may have a tendency to fall off. In this case it is recommended that the user cinches the drawstring around the hood. Another issue is that the raincoat does not provide adequate protection from torrential rain for the lower half of the body. If the user prefers to avoid a drenched lower half they should investigate further options. Water repellent rain pants similar to the raincoat do exist, however this brilliant scientist has yet to put them to the test and recommends further study in this area.