How Does a Soap Bubble Form?
Bubbles’ Beginning The base solution that makes up a soap bubble is usually a combination of soap and water. This combination is ideal because it allows the bubble to best maintain its shape as it fills with air. The soap strengthens the weak areas in the water molecules and decreases the bubble’s surface tension. The decrease in tension is what allows the bubble to hold its spherical shape as it fills with air. Filling With Air When the base bubble solution comes into contact with a hollow-centered surface (such as the bubble wands that come with children’s toys), the solution stretches across the surface to form a thin film. When air flows toward the film’s surface, the film begins to stretch away from the stream of air. As the film forms the bubble, the soap molecules are drawn toward the weak points in the bubble, stabilizing those areas by decreasing the surface tension. When the bubble becomes too large for the soap molecules to stabilize, it pops because the surface tension has
Related Questions
- I have used several different glaucoma drops, and they all tend to form a bubble that bursts and drips down the nozzle. How can I prevent this?
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