Bubbles

[Richard M]

After having a pleasant Sunday morning bath (with bubbles in it), I started to wonder: why is it that bubbles group together as if they were magnetically attracted to one another?

I'm sure you know what I'm on about, the small ones end up ganging up on you and become one huge posse of bubbles that seem to be prepared to do anything to leave the bath clinging on to your hairy shins.

[Russ]

Farting in the bath is NOTHING to be proud of Richard.

[Paul K]

The things you think about in the bath Rich :erm:
http://www.coolquiz.com/trivia/explain/docs/bubbles.asp
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A317107
Hairy shins eh? ;) Luck you if that's all that is hairy on your body lol

[makikomi]

After having a pleasant Sunday morning bath (with bubbles in it), I started to wonder: why is it that bubbles group together as if they were magnetically attracted to one another?

I'm sure you know what I'm on about, the small ones end up ganging up on you and become one huge posse of bubbles that seem to be prepared to do anything to leave the bath clinging on to your hairy shins.

It could be something to do with the fact that any two masses which in close proximity are attracted together - gravity really. It's kind of the same principle as the moon staying in orbit round the earth. Normally, a massive lump of rock like that would travel in a straight line, but becuase of the earth's gravitational pull, it stays in orbit. Soap bubbles are so light that this pull works even on substantially smaller scales.

Geez... that's blooming intellectual - and it's not even 10am on a Sunday morning yet.

:D

Incidentally, the skin of a soap bubble is 10,000 times thinner than the breadth of a human hair.

[Richard M]

The things you think about in the bath Rich :erm:
http://www.coolquiz.com/trivia/explain/docs/bubbles.asp
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A317107
Hairy shins eh? ;) Luck you if that's all that is hairy on your body lol

At last!
A bubble guru! :D
Why Do Bubbles Group?

A bubble floats on top of the water (rather than being embedded within the surface film), and it drags up with it the nearest parts of the water surface, lifting the surrounding film into a small peak with the bubble floating on top. Two bubbles floating close to one another will drift according to local currents or air breezes, but when they come too close each tries to float up the slope of the other's peak, causing them to suddenly rush together. Once collision occurs at the top of the beak, a double bubble is formed.

Why Do Clumps of Bubbles Reform into One Large One?

A double bubble has seams and a flat plane1. As mentioned above, the continual buffeting of the bubble's molecules will soon find these weak spots and break them down to leave a larger, more stable sphere.
__________________

Incidentally, the skin of a soap bubble is 10,000 times thinner than the breadth of a human hair.

Incredible...

[Paul K]

At last!
A bubble guru! :D
Thanks Google as always ;)
Prefer showers myself as I have to spend more time rinsing bubbles off my hirsute frame than actually relaxing in the bath :erm:

[Richard M]

At last!
A bubble guru! :D
Thanks Google as always ;)

Yeah, well, I could have Googled it but it would have made a rather boring topic if I said "Why do bubbles do this? Oh, this is why."

[Paul K]

At last!
A bubble guru! :D
Thanks Google as always ;)

Yeah, well, I could have Googled it but it would have made a rather boring topic if I said "Why do bubbles do this? Oh, this is why."
The fact that you are intrigued with bubbles in your bath in the first place would have made an interesting thread ;) Probably would have been locked quickly though lol

[Halcyon]

You learn something new every day lol.
Now, I'm off to have a full bath with plenty of bubbles.