Omari Gates
Making bubbles is a fun activity for both kids and adults. You can make bubbles with a few simple ingredients, such as water, dishwashing liquid, and glycerin or corn syrup. The ratio you are aiming for is one part dishwashing liquid to six parts water. The water should be around room temperature, and you should avoid creating foam while pouring it in. You can also add food colouring to make colourful bubbles. Once you've made your bubble mixture, you can use a bubble wand or a simple piece of wire bent into a circle or other shapes to blow bubbles.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Dishwashing liquid, distilled water, glycerine or glycerol, corn syrup, cornstarch, yarn, straws, wire, coat hangers |
| Equipment | Wide, shallow container, mixing bowl, measuring cups, whisk, bubble wand, spray bottle |
| Process | Mix dry ingredients, add water, stir gently, let sit for 30 minutes to overnight, dip wand, blow |
| Tips | Avoid froth, use room-temperature water, add mist for longer-lasting bubbles, use wide container, make bubble wands from wire or coat hangers |
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What You'll Learn
Making bubble mixture
Firstly, gather your ingredients and equipment. You will need a mixing bowl, preferably one that can hold 350ml of bubble mixture, a measuring cup, a container for the final mixture, and a piece of wire or an old coat hanger. For the mixture itself, you will need water, dishwashing liquid, and glycerine or glucose syrup. If you live in an area with hard water, such as Western Australia, South Australia, or Queensland, use distilled water. The tap water in Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania is soft and suitable for bubble-making.
Now, you can begin making your bubble mixture. Start by measuring out 50ml of dishwashing liquid and pouring it into your mixing bowl. Next, slowly add 300ml of water to the bowl, aiming for a ratio of one part dishwashing liquid to six parts water. Avoid creating foam by pouring the water in slowly and gently stirring the solution. Glycerine or glucose syrup can now be added to the mixture. Glycerine is often present in soaps and skincare products and helps to lengthen the time that the bubbles stay formed. It also helps you blow bigger bubbles! If using glycerine, add one tablespoon. If substituting with glucose syrup, add 1/4 cup.
Once all the ingredients are combined, let the solution sit for at least one hour or, for best results, leave it overnight. During this time, the solution will thicken, and any foam will dissipate. After letting the mixture sit, it's time to play with your bubbles! Pour the mixture into a wide, shallow container, dip your wire or coat hanger wand into the mixture, and start blowing bubbles.
There are many ways to shape your bubble wand. You can bend an old coat hanger or wire into various shapes such as circles, stars, triangles, and squares. Pipe cleaners can also be twisted together to make different shapes, and a handle can be added by folding and twisting a second pipe cleaner.
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Choosing a container
When choosing a container for your bubble mixture, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, the size of the container should be appropriate for the amount of bubble mixture you plan to make. If you are making a large batch of bubble mixture, opt for a bigger container such as a mixing bowl. On the other hand, if you only need a small amount, a smaller container like a jar or bottle will suffice.
Secondly, it is recommended to use a wide and shallow container for your bubble mixture. This makes it easier to dip your bubble wand into the mixture without creating a mess. A pie plate, for example, can be a good option as it is both wide and shallow. Additionally, choose a container with a flat bottom so that your bubble mixture can sit evenly. Avoid containers with narrow openings or unstable bases, as they can be more difficult to work with.
The type of material your container is made of is also important. Opt for a container made of glass or plastic, as these materials are easy to clean and will not react with the ingredients in your bubble mixture. Avoid using metal containers, as they can affect the quality of the mixture. Additionally, make sure the container has a lid or covering to prevent spills and prolong the life of your bubble mixture.
Lastly, consider the shape and size of your bubble wand when choosing a container. The container should be large enough to accommodate the wand without the mixture spilling over the sides. For example, if you have a large bubble wand in the shape of a circle, a wide and shallow container will be the best option. Keep these tips in mind, and you'll be well on your way to choosing the perfect container for your bubble-making adventures!
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Creating a bubble wand
Materials:
- Sticks or wooden dowels: You can use sticks collected from your garden or wooden dowels from a hardware store. The length can vary depending on the size of the desired wand, but a good range is between 45 and 60 centimetres, or roughly the length of an arm for younger children.
- String or cord: Cotton cord or any natural material works best. You will need one long piece and a shorter piece roughly half the length of the longer piece. For example, you can cut the cord into lengths of 3 feet and 5 feet.
- Eye hooks or eyelet screws: You will need two eye hooks or eyelet screws for each bubble wand.
- Washer: A large metal washer acts as a weight and is optional but recommended.
Instructions:
- Prepare the sticks: If using sticks, cut off any jagged or pointy ends and remove any flaky bark. You can use a small saw for this step.
- Attach the eye hooks: Screw one eye hook into one end of each stick. You may need to drill a small hole into the sticks first.
- Cut and thread the string: Cut the string into the desired lengths. Thread a washer onto the longer piece of string, placing it in the middle. Then, tie one end of each string piece to the eye hook on one of the sticks.
- Complete the wand: Tie the other ends of the string pieces to the eye hook on the second stick. Your bubble wand is now ready!
You can decorate your bubble wand with paint or beads and then dip it into a bubble solution to start blowing bubbles. Remember that bubbles tend to form better on humid days with a slight breeze. Enjoy creating and playing with your very own bubble wand!
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Blowing bubbles
Once you have mixed the liquids, you need to let the mixture sit for at least an hour, but preferably overnight. This helps to remove any froth and ensures the solution is as foam-free as possible. After the mixture has rested, you can start blowing bubbles!
To blow bubbles, you will need a bubble wand. You can make your own wand by bending a pipe cleaner or a wire coat hanger into a shape such as a circle, square, or triangle. Be sure to leave enough wire at the end to use as a handle. Then, gently dip the wand into your bubble mixture and slowly move it through the air to create beautiful bubbles!
If you want to make bigger bubbles, you can try using a bubble mixture recipe that includes cornstarch and glycerine. You can also experiment with different wand shapes and sizes to see how it affects the size and shape of your bubbles.
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Why bubbles are colourful
The colours we see on a bubble are due to the reflection and refraction of light waves off the inner and outer surfaces of the bubble wall. When light enters a bubble, some of it is reflected off the outside of the film, and some bounces off the inside of the film. The light rays then bounce into each other, causing the white light to break into its constituent colours. This phenomenon is known as destructive interference, which results in a reduction of colour intensity.
The colours that we see depend on the thickness of the film and the angle of the light being reflected. As the surface film of a bubble becomes thinner due to evaporation, its colour changes. Thick walls cancel out longer wavelengths in the red range, while thinner films cancel out yellow, green, and eventually blue wavelengths. The resulting colours are a combination of the colours that do not undergo destructive interference and their degrees of constructive interference.
The iridescence of a soap bubble, which appears to contain a wealth of changing colours, is due to light striking the bubble from different angles. This means that even if the soap film is of uniform thickness, different colours can be seen. Light entering the bubble directly travels a shorter path than light entering at a wider angle, allowing different wavelengths to undergo constructive and destructive interference, so different colours are perceived.
The colours on a bubble are also influenced by the angle from which we observe the reflected light. Since bubbles are constantly moving, the colours we see are constantly changing as the angle of reflection shifts.
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