Soap-Bubbles and the Forces Which Mould ThemBoys, C. V. (Charles Vernon)
Science
Soap-Bubbles and the Forces Which Mould Them
Boys, C. V. (Charles Vernon)
Bubbles; Capillarity; Surface tension
For these experiments a very fine hole about one seventy-fifth of an
inch in diameter is most suitable. To obtain this, Mr. Bell holds the
end of a quill-glass tube in a blow-pipe flame, and constantly turns it
round and round until the end is almost entirely closed up. He then
suddenly and forcibly blows into the pipe. Out of several nozzles made
in this way, some are sure to do well. Lord Rayleigh makes nozzles
generally by cementing to the end of a glass (or metal) pipe a piece of
thin sheet metal in which a hole of the required size has been made. The
water pressure should be produced by a head of about fifteen feet. The
water must be quite free from dust and from air-bubbles. This may be
effected by making it pass through a piece of tube stuffed full of
flannel, or cotton-wool, or something of the kind to act as a filter.
There should be a yard or so of good black india-rubber tube, about
one-eighth of an inch in diameter inside, between the filter and the
nozzle. It is best not to take the water direct from the water-main, but
from a cistern about fifteen feet above the nozzle. If no cistern is
available, a pail of water taken up-stairs, with a pipe coming down, is
an excellent substitute, and this has the further advantage that the
head of water can be easily changed so as to arrive at the best result.
The rest of the apparatus is very simple. It is merely necessary to
stretch and tie over the end of a tube about half an inch in diameter a
piece of thin india-rubber sheet, cut from an air-ball that has not been
blown out. The tube, which may be of metal or of glass, may either be
fastened to a heavy foot, in which case a side tube must be joined to
it, as in Fig. 47, or it may be open at both ends and be held in a
clamp. It is well to put a cone of card-board on the open end (Fig. 48),
if the sound is to be heard by many at a time. If the experimenter alone
wishes to hear as well as possible when faint sounds are produced, he
should carry a piece of smooth india-rubber tube about half an inch in
diameter from the open end to his ear. This, however, would nearly
deafen him with such loud noises as the tick of a watch.
_Bubbles and Ether._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account