Everybody loves bubbles, but they usually burst when you try to catch them. This experiment uses sugar and gloves to help you bounce bubbles and catch them with your hands!
Equipment and ingredients
Small bowl for mixing
Spoon for stirring
Cotton or wool socks or gloves
Drinking Straw
60ml (4 Tbsp) Water
30ml (2 Tbsp) sugar
15ml (1 Tbsp) Dishwashing Liquid
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together in the bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves/
- Dip the end of the straw into the solution until a film forms on the end
- Gently blow into the other end of the straw to form a bubble
- Cover your hand with a sock or glove and hold your palm out flat
- Blow a bubble in the air and use your covered hand to gently bounce the bubble without it bursting
The Science Behind Bouncing Bubbles
Bubbles are simply air trapped inside a thin film of liquid – the bigger the bubble, the more air is inside. The liquid film that makes up the outside of a bubble is mostly water. Water molecules are attracted to each other by intermolecular forces – these are electromagnetic forces which act between molecules. The intermolecular forces draw the water molecules together, creating something called surface tension.
Dishwashing liquid lowers the surface tension of the water, making it stretchy enough to stretch around a sphere of air to form a bubble. Bubbles, though, are prone to popping when the film is pierced or if too much water in the film evaporates, leaving too thin a layer. The sugar binds to the water molecules. This helps to stop the bubbles from drying out so they last longer and don’t pop as quickly.
Usually, if you touch a bubble it bursts – this is because the natural oil on your hands breaks the surface tension of the water around the bubble. By wearing gloves or socks on your hands you create a barrier between the oil and the bubble, making it possible to bounce a bubble without bursting.
All these science-inspired recipes and more are available in The Kitchen Science Cookbook!
These amazing and edible unicorn noodles can transform from purple to blue or pink right in front of your eyes!
This one-pot tomato rice dish is topped with crispy bite-sized pieces of sausage, toasted rice and shallots cooked in the rendered sausage fat.
This ice cream is vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free (as long as you use gluten-free miso), so it’s great if you’re catering for people with different dietary requirements.
There’s a love affair to be explored with spice and dairy, and this is the showcase for it!
When I posted my Crispy Smashed Potato Salad recipe in October 2023, it went viral, and everyone and their grandmas started making it.
Make the most of the short apricot season with this quick summery dessert. The apricots are roasted with honey and orange juice and served with a smooth cardamom cream and a crunchy pistachio brittle. It's the perfect laid-back dessert to serve at the end of dinner party.
Packed with 36g of protein, Dr Rupy's overnight protein porridge is brimming with nuts, seeds, spices and fruit. The perfect balanced start to the day.
This version of Fattoush is close to the classic salad we all know and love, but differs slightly from the one my mother used to make.
With juicy meat, crispy golden skin and a ton of moreish tarragon and mustard cream sauce, this appropriately named 'epic' chicken will impress at your next Sunday roast.
This rich and creamy tahini noodle broth with turkey from Dr Rupy is packed with powerhouse flavours and over 40 grams of protein.
