Bubble light facts for kids
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A bubble light is a fun decoration that has a special liquid inside a glass tube. A small light bulb heats this liquid. Because the liquid boils at a low temperature, it makes cool bubbles that float up. This creates a really neat effect! Bubble lights are often used for holidays like Christmas.
How Bubble Lights Work
The liquid inside most bubble lights is a special chemical. This chemical is safely sealed in a glass tube. It's important that the tube stays sealed so the liquid doesn't come out. Some older bubble lights used a light oil or camphor instead. Camphor is a white substance sometimes found in moth balls.
When the light bulb heats the liquid, it starts to boil and make bubbles. These bubbles rise up from the bottom of the tube. The light from the bulb shines through the bubbles, making them glow.
Bubble lights work best when the top of the tube is cooler than the bottom. This helps the bubbles form and move well. The tubes need to stay upright to work properly. Sometimes, you might need to gently tap or shake them to get the bubbles started after they warm up.
Different Kinds of Bubble Lights
Bubble lights come in different sizes for their light bulb bases. The original ones used a small screw base called E10. Newer ones might use a slightly larger E12 base or push-in bulbs.
The clear light bulb is usually inside a plastic base. This base often has a "bowl" and a "cap" part. These parts are usually different colors. Bubble lights are made in almost every color. The liquid inside the tube can also be colored. Common plastic colors are red, yellow, blue, and green. The liquids are often amber, red, blue, or green. Sometimes, you can find purple or pink liquid. Some bubble lights have clear liquid and use colored bulbs instead.
In recent years, bubble lights have become even more creative. Some have glitter added to the liquid for extra sparkle. You can find them in decorative nightlights. The bases are often shaped like fun figures. These can be Santa Clauses or snowmen. They can also be other decorative objects.
Bubble lights are also used for Halloween. These usually have orange liquid. Their bases might look like a jack-o'-lantern. They can also be shaped like a black cat or a witch.
Some newer bubbling lights are not exactly like the old ones. They might be made from clear plastic rods. These rods have bubbles built right into them. They are lit up by LED lights that can change colors. Other bubbling lights are much bigger. They sit on a table or the floor. They often have fake fish that "swim" up and down. These large tubes are usually filled with distilled water. They have air pumps and lights at the bottom to make bubbles.
History of Bubble Lights
Bubble lights for Christmas were first patented in the United States in 1944. They were introduced to people in 1946 by a company called NOMA. NOMA was one of the biggest makers of Christmas lights in America. Other companies also made them, like Raylite and Royal Electric Company.
Bubble lights were very popular Christmas lights from the 1940s to the 1970s. After that, smaller "fairy" lights became more common.
See also
- Drinking bird – A toy that uses a similar liquid system.
- Hand boiler – A novelty item that uses hand heat to move liquid.
- Lava lamp – Another decorative light with changing shapes.
- Percolator – A coffee maker that uses a similar bubbling action.
- Plasma globe – A decorative light that creates electric patterns.
