We've been having some super bubble fun at Summer School!
We used the giant bubble mix recipe from @rhubarbandwren here:
It's very important to follow the instructions carefully to get the best bubble mix for huge bubbles that don't pop too quickly.
Here is some excellent information from @sciencemuseum about making bubbles and why they behave as they do:
"A bubble is made of a very thin sheet of soapy water called a soap film. Soap molecules line up on the inside surface and the outside surface, and trap water molecules in-between – like a molecular sandwich.
The reason soap molecules do this is that they have one end that is attracted to water molecules and another that is repelled (pushed away) from them. The water slowly evaporates and eventually the soap film will break.
Adding glycerine to the mix makes longer-lasting bubbles because glycerine holds onto water, so it takes longer for the water to evaporate.
The most common use of washing-up liquid is for cleaning dishes. It’s difficult to get greasy dishes clean in pure water, because oil and water don’t mix.
The soap molecules in washing-up liquid make all the difference: as well as being repelled by water, the water-hating end of a soap molecule actually attracts molecules of fat from your food. The water-loving end clings to water molecules that can now wash the fats away."
This is why it's important to use soap when you wash your hands, because the water-hating (hydrophobic) end of the soap molecules break down the fatty covering (lipid membrane) that all bacteria and lots of viruses have.
You can read more at: https://learning.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/.../bubble-fun/
If you have a go at making your own giant bubbles at home, send us some photos in the comments!
If you have bubble-FOMO, there's still time to book in for some of our Wednesday afternoon sessions in August - get in touch today.
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