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Course

I am a Maker – Inventor Kiddo (Age:6-8)

Explore – Learn to make Bouncing bubbles

Bouncing Bubbles  

Keywords: Surface tension, Elastic nature

Materials Needed: Liquid detergent, Bowl, Woollen Glove and Water, Glycerin

What we will learn:

  1. What is the bubble made of?
  2. What is present inside a bubble?
  3. How are bubbles formed?
  4. Why are they round?
  5. Why do you see so many colours on the bubble?
  6. Why do bubbles pop?
  7. How can you make your bubbles last longer?
  8. Why do they bounce on your woolen glove?

About the project: Bubbles can bounce. Learn what makes them bouncy.

Procedure: 

  1. Add 2-3 tablespoons of dish soap into a bowl
  2. Add 9-10 tablespoons of water to the bowl
  3. Stir well but gently. Try not to let foam or bubbles form while you stir.
  4. Put the straw (with the end cut off) into the mixture and blow bubbles until the cup or bowl overflows.
  5. Try holding the bubble in your hand, it will break
  6. Put onto the woolen glove provided.
  7. Watch the magic of how they stick together to make a bigger bubble.
  8. Measure 1 teaspoon of glycerin and add to the soap solution. Blow a bubble now.
  9. Now try holding the bubble.
  10.  Watch the bubble bounce.

What is the bubble made of and what is present inside a bubble?

A bubble is just air trapped between films of soapy water.  A thin layer of water is present between two layers of soap molecules,  The three layers work together to hold air inside.

How are bubbles formed? Why are they round?
Water molecules like to stick together.  The outer layer of water acts as if it is stretched.  This property is called surface tension.

Bubbles are round in shape and not any other shape because it needs the least energy to have this shape.  Any other shape would require more energy.

Bubbles don’t form very well in normal water. But when soap is mixed with water, this surface tension becomes less, and bubbles are easily formed.  Just like a balloon, the surface of the bubble grows big when air is blown inside it.

TRY THIS!!!

Why do bubbles stick together? Since a bubble tends to minimize its surface area, bubbles join together to share one common wall. Three bubbles meet at the center, always at an angle of 120 degrees.  When bubbles are about the same size, they form perfect hexagons (six-sided figures).

Why do you see so many colours on the bubble?

A bubble gets its colour from the light waves reflecting between the soap film’s outer and inner surfaces. The distance between the layers gets smaller as the water evaporates, and the colors change.

Why do bubbles pop?

The bubbles pop when the water between the soap films evaporates.

Why do they bounce on your woollen glove?

When a bubble hits your hand it pops. But when it falls on your glove, you can hold it and bounce it.

Bubbles are very thin films of soap, held together by surface tension. Oil or tiny particles on your hand affect the film, popping it at once, but the soft, clean fibers of your glove do not and the bubbles bounce well.

How can you make your bubbles last longer?

Adding a teaspoon of glycerin makes the walls of the bubble stronger. Also,  If you want, you can cover the bubble solution loosely and let it rest for 24 hours. This gives the solution time to age and you can blow big and strong bubbles that don’t pop easily.

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