Bubble facts for kids

A bubble is usually a small ball of air or gas inside a liquid. You can see bubbles in fizzy drinks or when you blow air into water. But the word "bubble" can mean many other things too! It can describe things that look like bubbles, or even ideas and situations.

What Are Traditional Bubbles?

When most people think of a bubble, they imagine a tiny pocket of gas inside a liquid.

Liquid Bubbles

A liquid bubble is a small round shape of one substance surrounded by another. Often, it's a bit of air trapped inside a liquid. Think of the bubbles you see when water boils or when you pour soda.

Soap Bubbles

Soap bubbles are a fun example of liquid bubbles. They are made when air gets trapped inside a thin film of soapy water. The soap makes the water stretchy, allowing it to form a sphere around the air. They are often seen as beautiful and fragile.

Antibubbles

An antibubble is the opposite of a regular bubble! Instead of air in liquid, it's a tiny drop of liquid surrounded by a thin layer of gas. Then, this whole thing is inside another liquid. They are less common but very interesting.

Bubbles in Arts and Stories

The idea of a bubble appears in many creative works, from paintings to cartoons.

Famous Paintings and Characters

• Bubbles is a very famous painting by Sir John Everett Millais. It shows a young boy looking at a soap bubble. This painting was even used in advertisements for soap!
• In comics and cartoons, a speech bubble is a drawing that shows what a character is saying or thinking. It's a common way to show dialogue.
• Bubbles is a friendly monkey character in the popular Japanese animated series Dragon Ball.
• Bubbles is also a main character in The Powerpuff Girls, an animated TV show about three super-powered little girls. She is known for her sweet and cheerful personality.
• In The Wire, a TV series, there is a character nicknamed Bubbles.

Bubbles in Money Matters

Sometimes, the word "bubble" is used to describe situations in the world of money and business.

Economic Bubbles

An economic bubble happens when the price of something, like houses or company shares, goes up very, very fast. The prices become much higher than what they are truly worth. This situation is usually not stable.

Types of Economic Bubbles

• The Dot-com bubble happened around the year 2000. It was when many internet companies had very high values, but then their prices suddenly dropped.
• A Real estate bubble is when the prices of houses and land become too high.
• A Stock market bubble is when the prices of shares in companies become much higher than their real value.
• The "South Sea Bubble" was a famous economic bubble in England way back in the 1700s.

Bubbles in Food and Drinks

You might find "bubble" in the names of some tasty foods and drinks.

• Bubble and squeak is a traditional English dish. It's made by frying leftover vegetables from a roast dinner, often cabbage and potatoes.
• Bubble tea is a popular drink from Taiwan. It's usually a tea-based drink with chewy tapioca pearls at the bottom.
• Bubble gum is a type of chewing gum that you can blow into large bubbles.

Other Meanings of Bubble

The word "bubble" can also describe many other things, from objects to ideas.

• Bubble wrap is a type of packaging material. It has many small air-filled bubbles that protect items during shipping. And it's fun to pop!
• A Bubble chamber is a special device used in physics. Scientists use it to see the paths of tiny particles that are too small to see with the eye.
• In poker tournaments, being "on the bubble" means you are the last player to be eliminated before the prize money starts. It's a tough spot!
• In college basketball, a "bubble team" is a team that might or might not get to play in the big championship tournament. They are right on the edge of getting in.

People and Animals Named Bubble

Some people and animals have become famous with the name "Bubble."

• Bubbles (chimpanzee) was a chimpanzee who lived with the famous singer Michael Jackson.
• The Bubble Eye is a unique type of goldfish. It has large, fluid-filled sacs under its eyes, which look like bubbles.
• William Milbourne James was the child model in the famous Bubbles painting.