Soap-Bubbles and the Forces Which Mould Them — John Shaqi
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
To blow bubbles containing either coal-gas or air, or a mixture of the
two, the most convenient plan is to have a small T-shaped glass tube
which can be joined by one arm of the T to the blow-pipe by means of a
short piece of india-rubber tube, and be connected by its vertical limb
with a sufficient length of india-rubber pipe, one-eighth of an inch in
diameter inside, to reach to the floor, after which it may be connected
by any kind of pipe with the gas supply. The gas can be stopped either
by pinching the india-rubber tube with the left hand, if that is at
liberty, or by treading on it if both hands are occupied. Meanwhile air
can be blown in by the other arm of the T, and the end closed by the
tongue when gas alone is required. This end of the tube should be
slightly spread out when hot by rapidly pushing into it the _cold_ tang
of a file, and twisting it at the same time, so that it may be lightly
held by the teeth without fear of slipping.
If a light T-piece or so great a length of small india-rubber tube
cannot be obtained, then the mouth must be removed from the pipe and the
india-rubber tube slipped in when air is to be changed for gas. This
makes the manipulation more difficult, but all the experiments, except
the one with three bubbles, can be so carried out.
The pipe must in every case be made to enter the highest point of a
bubble in order to start an internal one. If it is pushed horizontally
through the side, the inner bubble is sure to break. If the inner bubble
is being blown with gas, it will soon tend to rise. The pipe must then
be turned over in such a manner that the inner bubble does not creep
along it, and so meet the outer one where penetrated by the pipe. A few
trials will show what is meant. The inner bubble may then be allowed to
rest against the top of the outer one while being enlarged. When it is
desired after withdrawing the pipe to blow more air or gas into either
the inner or the outer bubble, it is not safe after inserting the pipe
again to begin to blow at once; the film which is now stretched across
the mouth of the pipe will probably become a third bubble, and this,
under the circumstances, is almost certain to cause a failure. An
instantaneous withdrawal of the air destroys this film by drawing it
into the pipe. Air or gas may then be blown without danger.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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