Physical
Science:
Bubble Prints
Introduction:
It's time for fun -- exploring soap bubbles and making bubble
prints. A soap bubble is a thin film of soap and water stretch
by the air inside. The soap film is stretchable. Remember what
happens when you blow into a bubble wand?
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If you blow quickly and
hard, nothing much happens. However, if you blow slowly and gently,
the soap film that is stretch across the surface of the wand will
start to stretch more until a bubble is formed. Why does it form
a sphere? Well, a sphere is the shape that provides the most space
of the air with the least stretching of the soap film. Soap film
always contracts to make the smallest possible surface that can
contain the air inside it.
In this activity you will be adding some paint to the soap bubble
mixture to make bubble prints. If time allows you will also get
the chance to play with a variety of bubble toys to see if you can
make any special bubbles. Let's get started!
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Bubble
Prints:
Teacher Notes
Download: (Abobe
Acrobat Reader required--download
free reader)
Print the "Bubble
Prints" Worksheets.
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A: Making Bubble Prints
To make the bubble/paint solution,
each group needs the following supplies:
1 Jar
1/4 cup tempera paint
1/2 cup soap bubble solution
pie tin
newspapers
Making the bubble/paint solution:
- Working in your group, mix 1/2 cup of bubble solution and
1/4 cup tempera paint into a jar.
- Shake the paint and bubble solution until it is well mixed
- Pour 1/2 inch of mixture into a clean pie tin
- Place the pie tin on a sheet of newspaper
Bubble prints:
To make the actual bubble prints, everyone will share the six
colors of bubble/paint solution just made. Everyone should have
their own straw and a piece of white construction paper to do
the rest of the activity.
- Choose the first color you would like on your bubble print
- Put one end of a straw into your mouth and the other end into
the deepest part of the bubble/paint solution
- Blow a big mound of bubbles
- Remove the straw and carefully lower a sheet of construction
paper onto the bubble mound. Leave it for just a second, then
lift it off.
- Let the paper dry, wet side up.
- If you would like to add a second color, just make another
bubble print on the same piece of paper using a different color
bubble/paint solution.
Discussion:
What shapes did the bubble make? Circles? Squares? Triangles?
Part B: Having Fun with Bubbles
For this part of the activity,
each group of 6 needs:
- bubble tray
- bubble solution
- bubble toy set
- paper towels
Let's have fun:
- Pour some of the bubble solution (w/o paint) into the large
bubble trays
- Try blowing some bubbles using the various bubble toys provided.
Play around, explore, and see what you can discover about soap
bubbles.
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