Science Smarts: A bubble inside of a bubble

By PATTY ROOKS on August 6, 2022.

With the hot temperatures we are experiencing this week, I am sure many of you are outside taking in some fun summertime activities. One of my absolute favorite activities is making bubbles. We do all kinds of bubbles from small normal bubble blowers to giant bubbles; often making it into a contest to see who can blow the largest. One of the trickiest activities is trying to blow a bubble inside a bubble. If you can master this skill, it is truly amazing. Let’s get started!

Remember to ask an adult before doing this experiment.

Materials

• Dish soap (I like the blue kind)

• Water

• Clear plastic cup

• Two drinking straws

• Ruler

• Scissors

• Marker

• Glass

• Measuring spoon

• Refrigerator

• Table or sturdy counter to work on

Procedure

• Make a quick bubble solution by mixing 15 mL (one teaspoon) of water with 105 mL (seven teaspoons) of dish soap in the clear glass. Set this in the fridge to chill for a couple of hours minimum.

• In the meantime, make a bubble blower: Take one straw and on one end, make a 3 cm measurement up the straw. Using the marker, indicate the measurement.

• Rotate the straw and make three more measurements all the way around. In total you will have four measurements.

• Using the scissors carefully cut up one of the marks so you have a slit in the end of the straw. Repeat for the other three marks on the straw.

• Fan these cuts out.

• Wet the rim of the plastic cup and place it upside down on the counter.

• Remover your bubble solution from the refrigerator and dip the bubble blower in the solution.

• Gently blow a bubble on the bottom of the plastic cup.

• Dip the second straw in the bubble solution – make sure it is dripping wet. It is VERY important that all surfaces of the straw are wet.

• Slowly push the straw into the bubble on the plastic cup. Gently blow a second bubble.

What is going on?

This experiment takes patience and time. You likely will not be successful the first time. Bubbles are a tricky thing to master as they are so FRAGILE! You are able to blow a bubble inside a bubble because when you push the second straw into the first it is wet. Remember, I told you to ensure it is “dripping” wet! When the wet straw pushes into the bubble, it becomes part of the first bubbles wall. The wall of the bubble is made up of a VERY thin layer of water pushed between some of the dishwashing liquid or soap. The soap allows the surface tension of the water and ultimately the bubble to be reduced and allow the formation of another bubble.

Mark your calendars, the Praxis AGM will be held on Friday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Kiwanis Centre in Medicine Hat. We are always looking for board members and volunteers. We would love to have you join us, please email or call for more details on attending.

Patty Rooks, Senior Scientific Consultant PRAXIS, “Connecting Science To The Community”. Contact with Praxis at praxis@praxismh.ca, http://www.praxismh.ca, Tweet or follow us @PraxisMedHat, or friend us on Facebook. Address: #12 826 11 Street S. E., Medicine Hat, Alberta, T1A 1T7 Phone: 403.527.5365, email: praxis@praxismh.ca.

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