Ivory Dish Soap

Experiments Bubblology
to share with your children

By Aurora Lipper

This article teaches kids science bubblology and gives a handful of totally fun science experiment for school learning at home (including bubble castles, lighting, and a kid-in- a-bubble). It is also good for Scouts working on a badge, or for any children that love science experiments. These experiences are part of a homeschool science program that I teach, and I promise you that your children will love.

If you pour a few drops of water on a sweater or cloth, you will notice the water may stay there on the surface in a ball (or oval, if the drop is large enough). If you touch the ball with soapy water with a finger, the ball disappears into the fabric fibers! What happened?

Soap makes water "wet" by breaking the surface tension of water by two thirds. The force holding the drop of water in the form of a sphere is called surface tension. That's why you can fill a glass of water without spilling over the edge. Water becomes "wet" because, without soap, it can not penetrate the fibers of your clothes get clean. That's why you need soap in the washing machine.

Soap is also water stretch. If you've ever tried to blow bubbles with his mouth while using the pin, you know you can not get the larger size of a fist spit bubbles to form completely and detach and float in the air. The water itself has surface tension too, too many forces holding molecules together. When you add soap to it, they relax a bit and stretch. Soap stretch the water to form a bubble.

The soap molecule is much like a snake - it is a long chain that has two ends. The head of the snake loves water, and tail like dirt. When the soap molecule find a particle of dirt, it will end its tail around the earth and keep it there.

To get the best of bubbles for Teaching Homeschool Science, you must first make the best bubble solution. Gently mix together 12 cups of cold water in a shallow pan with a cup Dawn Green (or light Ivory) dish soap. If one day hot and dry, add a few tablespoons of glycerin. (Glycerin can be found at the pharmacy.) You can add all sorts of things to find the soap solution perfect lemon juice, corn syrup, maple syrup, glycerin ... to name a few. Each will add its own properties of bubble solution. (When I teach this class, I have buckets of each variation along ordinary dish soap and water so that we can compare.)

The best time to make giant bubbles is overcast, it rained right after. The bubbles have a thin cell wall that evaporates quickly in direct sunlight, especially a day of low humidity. Glycerine adds moisture and discourages the rapid thinning of the cell wall of the bubble.

Tip for Teaching Homeschool Science: Keep a handy box with these items inside: paper clips (in two different sizes), rubber bands, dish soap (Ivory clear and green or blue Dawn) straws, ropes, plastic berry baskets, plastic water bottles and wire hangers. Label your box "Experiences Bubblology. Pull the box, add children, and stand back.

Zillions of Tiny Bubbles can be made with baskets of strawberries. Simply dip the basket in the bubble solution and swirl around. You can also use plastic soda six-pack can holders.

Trumpet Bubbles are created using a modified version of a bottle of water. Cut the bottom of the bottle, dip the large end into the soap solution, put the small end of your lips and blow. You can separate the bubble away from t.