Why is a soap bubble spherical?
Its shape results from a counterbalance between 2 opposed forces. Air pressure on the inside, pushing out equally in all directions. Tension of the soapy water surface, pulling equally in all directions. Why are balloons sometimes NOT spherical, but other shapes? When the stress in the rubber exerts equal force in all directions and at all locations then the balloon will be spherical. In other words, if the forces have a certain symmetry, then they will produce shapes with this same symmetry. If stress is stronger in some parts of the rubber OR if the rubber’s stress is stronger in some directions that others, either or both of these can cause non-spherical shapes to exist. Asymmetry is at least one of the forces is needed to produce asymmetry of the balloon (the same would be true of embryos) Forces have symmetries, but not actual shapes. In a cylindrical balloon, stress is exactly twice as much in the circumferential direction than in the longitudinal direction. The air pressure insi
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