If you were to look in your wallet right now, you might be lucky enough to find some money. Even though credit and debit cards are more popular than ever, most people still carry around a few bills with them. Paper money is something we are all familiar with, but is it really made out of paper?
Regular paper is made out of wood cellulose(纤维素), which is a product that comes from trees. Paper-makers mix chemicals with the wood to break it down into cellulose fibers(纤维). Machines then press these fibers together and roll them into thin sheets to create the material we call paper. When paper gets wet, the cellulose fibers become very weak. This can cause most paper to completely fall apart when it is wet.
Paper money is not made out of this material. Think about the last time you found a dollar in the pocket of pants that went through the washing machine. The dollar was probably a bit wrinkled (皱的), but it did not completely fall apart because of getting wet.
Money is not made from the same paper that you write on. It is made out of something called "rag paper". Rag paper is a mixture of 75%cotton and25% linen(亚麻布). Cotton and linen fibers do not become weak when they get wet. They are much stronger than cellulose fibers. Unlike regular paper, money can be folded many times without causing serious damage to the bill. According to a U. S. Government blog," it takes about 4. 000 double folds (first forward and then backwards) before a paper bill will tear "The material that money is made out of is much stronger and much more durable than regular paper.
