Bubbles!! Children are crazy about bubble play, which is an awesome summer outdoor activity.
Well, we always see sphere shaped bubbles around us. Even kids are very familiar of sphere shaped bubbles. But why can’t we make bubbles that look like a square?
To make a square bubble, we just need to help ball shaped bubbles to take on a square shape.
Let us see in what way we are going to help regular bubbles to take on a square shape through some activity.
Objective: To teach kids about how to make square shaped bubbles. And encouraging them to learn bubble science.
Time Required: As this is a simple and easy science activity, it takes just 15 minutes-20 minutes.
Difficulty: This is such a super easy activity that even kids can do it on their own.
Materials Required
Have a look at the simple supplies we need to gather in order to make a square bubble.
1) Six Straws
2) Scissors
3) Bubble Liquid (You can buy it directly from the store or you can make it at the home. I have included the simple and easy instructions on how to make homemade bubble mixture)
4) Six Pipe Cleaners (to secure purpose)
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Steps to Make Square Bubble
First, we are going to explore a craft lesson that teaches to make square shaped wand or frame. It sounds a bit tricky but it is very easy to put into action.
Step-1:
Pick four straws and four pipe cleaners. Insert four pipe cleaners into the four straws as shown in the pictures.
Step-2:
Arrange the straws in square shape and secure their edges using the pipe cleaners.
Step-3:
Repeat the steps 1&2, and create another square shaped frame. You can see pictures for your reference.
Step-4:
Now join the two square shaped frames using another set of straws and pipe cleaners. Consider one square shaped frame as the bottom base and the other set as the top base.
Then, you need to join them by arranging straws vertically at the four corners.
Secure the vertical straws using pipe cleaners without fail. If you do not secure the pipe cleaners then the square shape would go shapeless.
Finally, you won’t get the square shaped bubbles. So, be careful while building the square shaped frame.
Step-5:
Now, you are ready with your own DIY cube. It is time to check whether you have created the correct shape i.e. square.
Make sure your square frame stands erect without bending or falling on to the ground.
If you realize your square frame is about to fall or bend, then tighten the corners using pipe cleaners. Of course, it looks a bit tricky but do not worry the pipe cleaners will do the work perfectly as they are super bendy.
Step-6: Woooo! It is time to blow up square bubbles in to the air. Take your homemade bubble mixture in to a large tub.
Make sure the tub is big and deep enough to immerse the frame completely. And dip the square frame into the bubble mixture completely. Now, let the frame sit in the mixture for a moment.
Step-7: Just take out the square frame by holding the two corners out of the tub filled with bubble mixture. But remember you need to pull it out very carefully and slowly.
Give a gentle shake to create the cube such that any excess soap mixture attached will drip back into the tub.
Then, place the square bubble onto a flat and smooth surface when you feel the soap film is stable.
Step-8: You will see the square bubble when you look from the top of the cube.
If you are not able to see the square bubble at the center, then shake the frame a bit or blow air using an extra straw.
You can also take the bubble wand you already have at home and blow up the spherical shaped bubble. Drop this bubble into the cube at its center.
Amazingly, the round shaped bubble gets turned into a square shaped ones. The trickier part is to have a small squared wand to try that.
Do not worry if you are failed to do it in the first attempt. It may takes several trials to see our desired results but worth to invest your time and effort in order to see a beautiful square shaped bubble.
My kids enjoyed doing square bubbles and it kept them engaged and entertained for hours.
We even tried making a triangular bubble using a prism frame.. you can see the result below.
Here are the key questions to ask children about this Activity
Science is nothing but questioning and finding answers through a scientific research. Let us see some key questions of this activity.
1) How does a square shaped 3-D frame make a difference in creating a new shape to the round bubbles?
2) What happens when the square bubble is released into the air?
3) How long the square bubble holds the surface tension and stay?
4) Why the square shaped bubble is formed when the spherical bubble is dropped into the square frame?
5) What is the role of surface tension in blowing up balloons?
6) How the sides of the cube frame help in making square bubbles?
7) How effective are 2-D and 3-D square frames individually in creating square shape bubbles?
Precautions
1) As the bubble mixture is soapy and made out of some chemicals, children need to be handle it carefully. When this mixture is spilled in to the eyes, the chemicals in it irritates the eyes and causes swelling, redness, etc. It is better to use eye safety goggles to protect your eyes. Also, add hand gloves to the safety kit list.
2) If you have toddlers and kindergarten and performing this activity to introduce them to bubble play and science, adult supervision is mandatory. Because there are high chances that kids may inhale and try to taste this liquid, soapy mixture. It is not good if this chemical mixture goes into the stomach.
3) Since it mess up the things, it is advisable to perform this activity at your backyard or outdoor.
Soap Mixture Preparations
Readymade soap mixtures are sometimes not worthy to buy because the quantity may not be enough to create big bubbles. In that case, I recommend to make your own bubble mixture which takes minutes to prepare.
Here is the easy and simple instruction guide to prepare your own high quality bubble mixture.
1) Gather 6 cups of distilled water (if your tap water is not hard in nature, then you can use tap water as well), 1 cup dish soap (make sure dish soap is not contaminated and should be fresh and anti-bacterial), and 1 table spoon of glycerine (you will get it from the craft stores and pharmacy but it is optional to use).
2) Mix all the ingredients and let the mixture stay overnight. That’s it your bubble mixture is ready to make beautiful and big bubbles.
Interested in creating more creative bubble wands? Try out …
Christmas Tree Bubble Wand
Heart Shaped Bubble Wand
Easter Egg Bubble Wand
Multiple Shaped Bubble Wands
What is the science involved in How to Make Square Bubble?
First, we will learn why the bubbles are round?
The soap film formed from the soap mixture is elastic in nature. So, when you blow up a soap mixture the air enters into it and stretches the soap film. And the air stretches the soap film equally on all sides, sticks the water molecules together, and finally form the surfaces with the least possible area.
A sphere encompasses the certain volume of air surrounding it using the least soap film surface. This finally results in the formation of spherical shaped bubbles.
This is why, the free-floating soap bubbles are always round in shape.
In detail, the hydrogen atoms present in one water molecule gets attached to another water molecule’s oxygen atom. These two atoms attract each other and form a bond.
When the soap molecules come into picture, these water molecule bonds become stretchy. Because the soap molecules reduce the force of attraction and the rate of evaporation.
Hence, the bubbles formed stay for some time without breaking. Also, bubbles trap the air inside using the simple science properties of surface tension and appears round shape.
Can a bubble change its shape from spherical to other?
Absolutely, yes. We can see bubbles apart from round shape. When you are surrounded with heavy winds, try to blow up bubbles using your regular bubble wand.
Because of heavy winds, the spherical shaped bubbles tend to take different shapes based on the direction of winds.
Also, when a single bubble is surrounded by many other bubbles, the force or pressure is exerted against the centre bubble. Finally, this pressure squishes the centre bubble into different shapes like square, hexagon, etc.
How can a round shaped bubbles turn into a square shaped bubble?
It is possible for bubbles to change shapes only when the soap films are supported. This happen when the 3-D frames are dipped in to the bubble mixture. In this way, supporting soap films are formed to create different shaped bubbles.
When you dip the 3-D squared shaped cube in to the bubble mixture, the soap film get attached tightly through all the six sides of the cube.
This creates one center bubble with the help of many bubbles surrounding it. However, the center bubble naturally tend to be in round shape. But the even pressure applied on all sides of the cube against it helps to maintain the square shape at the center.
How can you see a bubble colourful and beautiful?
The main culprit is sun light! Yes, the sun light encompasses a range of colors that have different wavelengths i.e. showing a rainbow effect. These colors include: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
When the bubble come in contact with the light, the range of different wavelengths of colors get reflected, dispersed, and splits. This phenomenon shows all the colors inside the bubble and makes it colorful.
Key words used in this activity
Air Pressure: The pressure created by the air when it touches and compressed against any surface it touches is called air pressure.
Adhesion: The tendency of molecular attraction of dissimilar particles or surfaces in order to maintain intact.
Cohesion: The act of intermolecular attraction between like-molecules of a substance to cling together.
Force: When the objects come in contact in contact with one another, the push or pull created by the objects is referred as force.
Surface Tension: Surface tension is the tension of the liquid soap film surfaces to contract into the least or minimal possible surface area.This tendency happens due to the cohesive nature of water molecules.
Water Molecules: A water molecules is formed by two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. It is considered as the smallest unit of water exhibiting properties same as water. Also, it is made up of tiny particles called atoms and has the chemical formula H2O.
Atom: The tiny and smallest particle of a matter formed by a proton, neutron and a nucleus is called an atom. And an atom is considered as the basic building blocks of all matter.
FAQ’S
Bubbles always stay round when they are present individual. But when they are in groups and touch one another, they tend to change their shapes. Because bubbles get attract to other bubbles using surface tension, force, adhesion, cohesion, and air pressure. In this way, bubbles change from round shape to all sorts of shapes.
In detail, when a single bubble is surrounded by many other bubbles, the force or pressure is exerted against the centre bubble. Finally, this pressure squishes the centre bubble into different shapes like square, hexagon, etc.
Sphere is the shape that requires minimum surface area to make it stable in its structure. That is the reason, bubbles tends to adapt round shape when blown out into the air.
The soap solid film of a bubble minimizes the attractive force i.e. surface tension and pulls the water molecules to the tightest possible groups.
In a square bubble, the soap film get attached tightly through all the six sides of the cube. This creates one centre bubble with the help of many bubbles surrounding it.
The bubbles surrounding on the side pushes against the centre bubble. Finally, the pressure from surrounding bubbles give corners and sides to the square bubble.
The science involved in blowing up balloons is called bubble science. A bubble is formed when the air is trapped inside the soap film.
A soap film is formed from the reaction between the chemical compounds in the soap and water. That means the bubble surface is completely enclosed in soap molecules both from outside and inside.
And the water molecules form a thin layer between these two soapy surfaces and making it appear like a water sandwich with soap.
The air pressure, force, surface tension, water molecules, adhesion, cohesion, and atoms are involved in bubble science.
Here is the easy and simple instruction guide to prepare your own high quality bubble mixture.
1) Gather 6 cups of distilled water (if your tap water is not hard in nature, then you can use tap water as well), 1 cup dish soap (make sure dish soap is not contaminated and should be fresh and anti-bacterial), and 1 table spoon of glycerine (you will get it from the craft stores and pharmacy but it is optional to use).
2) Mix all the ingredients and let the mixture stay overnight. That’s it your bubble mixture is ready to make beautiful and big bubbles.
Of course, Yes! Square bubbles are easy to create but little tricky. In fact, square bubble experiment offers a great tool to learn a variety of science concepts such as surface tension, atom, adhesion, cohesion, air pressure, soap films, force, etc.
Construct a 3-D square bubble maker using straws and pipe cleaners. And submerge the frame into the bubble mixture which is nothing but a soap solution.
The soap film sticks to the edges of the square frame instigating the bubble to appear in a square shape.
The air inside the bubble is less dense than the surrounding air outside the bubble. Because the surrounding air encompasses of carbon dioxide in higher amounts.
This is the main reason for the floating of bubbles. The other reason is the bubbles are very light in weight and float in to the air that contain carbon dioxide.
We can blow up bubbles in space but they pop out before they enter into the space. This is because of absence of pressure in the space. Due to which there is no pressure for the air inside the bubble to push against. Therefore, the bubble will pop out as soon as it is blown up in the space.
There are no such chemical compounds that kill you in the bubble soap mixture. But when you inhale a bubble, it may causes some health issues such as nausea, burning feel in the stomach, vomiting, diarrhoea, and even burning feel in your throat.
A bubble is usually a gas in liquid! Mostly, the bubble surface is liquid in nature. A soap bubble is referred as a water sandwich with soapy film layer because a thin water layer is formed between the two layers of soapy surfaces.
