Bubbles occur naturally, so they have always been around, but the
sport of playing with bubbles didn’t really exist before soap. The
Pear Soap Company, in England, was responsible for the 19th century
popularization of both soap and bubble blowing. Bubble toys were
largely limited to bubble pipes until the middle of the 20th
century.
Why do
bubbles have color? Can I color bubbles?
We see the
colors in a bubble through the reflection and the refraction
of light waves off the inner and outer surfaces of the
bubble wall. You can't color a bubble since its wall is only
a few millionths of an inch thick. A bubble reflects color
from its surroundings. As a bubble wall gets thinner, the
bubble loses its color and can become nearly invisible.
Why are
bubbles round?
Bubbles and balloons
have a lot in common! Scientists refer to them as "minimal
surface structures." This means that they always hold the
gas or liquid inside of them with the least possible surface
area. The geometric form with the least surface area for
any given volume is always a sphere, not a pyramid or a cube
or any other form.
Why do
bubbles pop?
There are many reasons why a bubble pops.
Evaporation of its water content, air turbulence, and, most
commonly, dryness - contact with a dry surface or dry air.
When you make bubbles in the sun, they evaporate quickly.
When there is a strong wind, or even a gentle breeze,
bubbles are much more difficult to create and are popped by
the wind's force. If the air is very dry, as it is in the
desert, or if a bubble touches a dry finger or a piece of
clothing or the ground, it pops instantly. Here are some
recommendations for the best conditions for making bubbles,
especially giant bubbles:
●
Work in Shady areas
●
Try bubble making right after the sun sets.
●
Make bubbles when the air is still or only
slightly breezy.
●
Play with bubbles after a rainstorm.
●
Stay in open areas where your bubbles won't
run into dry objects.
●
Keep your
bubble tools really wet with bubble solution.
