How You Tear It

Ask for permission to tear a sheet of newspaper. Tear it from the top edge. Then tear it from a side edge. Was one tear straighter than the other?

Explanation
Newsprint (the kind of paper used for newspapers) is made by spreading wet wood fibers over a flat screen and shaking the screen from side to side. The shaking makes many of the long fibers line up in one direction. When the fibers dry, they stick together side by side. When you tear the paper, it’s easier to pull the fibers apart lengthwise, like strings of licorice, than it is to pull the other way and break the fibers.