Cotton balls filter water by trapping larger particles of dirt and sediment as the water passes through the layers of cotton fibers. This physical barrier acts like a sieve, preventing these particles from flowing through with the water.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
- Physical Barrier: The interwoven structure of cotton fibers creates a network of small spaces.
- Particle Entrapment: Larger particles, like sand, silt, and visible debris, are too large to pass through these spaces and become trapped within the cotton.
- Initial Filtration Stage: Cotton balls are typically used as a pre-filter to remove larger contaminants before other filtration methods, such as activated carbon, are employed to remove smaller impurities.
Essentially, the cotton ball acts as a coarse filter, providing an initial cleanup of the water by removing visible impurities. It's important to note that cotton balls alone do not remove all contaminants, such as bacteria, viruses, or dissolved chemicals.
