Bubble Bubble on the Wall, Who's the Squarest of Them All?
Bubbles! Bubbles! Bubbles! My bubbles!
It’s one of the most memorable scenes from Finding Nemo. We also love bubbles at Steve Spangler Science. The science of bubbles is as fascinating as bubbles are engaging.
First, start with a good bubble solution. The secrets behind great bubbles are dish soap and glycerin. Just don’t use the antibacterial dish soap. Dawn works the best.
Glycerin is the true secret to the best bubbles because it keeps the bubble hydrated. A bubble will pop in the air because the water evaporates. The glycerin will hold onto that water and extend the life of the bubble. But don’t let it touch your skin. Oil and dirt are the enemies of bubbles.
The best bubble blower is a pipette with the end cut off. Just remember to blow through the pipette and not suck.
How do you make a round bubble a square? Start with a cube structure. You can make one with straws or sticks. Dip the cube into a bucket or container of bubble solution, then, using your bubble blower, carefully drop a round bubble into the center of the cube. Square bubbles!
We have you covered for all of your bubble needs – pipettes, glycerin, bubble solution, gloves, square bubble maker and more, visit our Bubbles, Bubbles, Bubbles page. For experiments and more on the science behind bubbles, visit the Square Bubble experiment.
love to make bubbles with my grandson (2) . dont have great luck making bubbles. approx how much glycerin should I add to approx how much soap? the store bought bubble mixtures dont do much for either of us. thanks. enjoyed your show on this! S
Steve – Here’s a great recipe:
1 cup of distilled water (240 mL)
2 tablespoons of Dawn® dish soap (30 mL)
1 tablespoon of glycerin (15 mL)
For more on making great bubbles, check out our experiment page at https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/bouncing-bubbles
I LOVE this square bubble idea! So cool, like all of your other experiments! Can’t wait to meet you in October when you come out to Phoenix! 🙂
Marie
The Hands-On Teacher in First!
hello how are would like to know a recipe for making giant bubbles to fit a person inside mcuhas thanks
I WAS FORCED TO DO THIS FOR AN EXPERIMENT BY MY SCIENCE TEACHER….. I MAY ACTUALLY HAVE FUN. HFVSHJGJFH
PEACE