A museum conservator finds a woollen glove in a dry storage box. Fig. 1 shows pieces of the same wool fabric placed in three different storage conditions fo...
Question 1 Report
A museum conservator finds a woollen glove in a dry storage box. Fig. 1 shows pieces of the same wool fabric placed in three different storage conditions for a trial. One piece is damp, one is dry, and one is dry but treated with a fungicide. The conservator observes each piece after fourteen days. The glove is made from animal fibres, which are carbon compounds. She must choose a method that prevents decay without damaging the historic object or adding ethanol-based chemicals to the fabric.
(a) Name the microorganism most likely to grow as visible mould on the damp fabric. [1]
(b) Describe three control variables the conservator should keep the same for all three pieces of fabric. [3]
(c) Explain why the damp fabric is likely to decay faster than the dry fabric. [4]
Answer Details
(a) Fungus, or mould, [1] is the microorganism most likely to grow visibly on damp fabric.
(b) [3] Any three appropriate control variables are: the same type of wool fabric; the same mass or surface area of fabric; the same temperature; the same storage time; the same size of box; or the same light level. Keeping these constant ensures that moisture and fungicide are the meaningful differences.
(c) [4] Microorganisms need water for growth and decay. Water allows substances to dissolve and move into microorganisms. Their enzymes can then catalyse breakdown reactions more effectively. Therefore more of the carbon-containing wool is broken down in the damp condition, so it decays faster.
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