Soap bubble facts for kids
A soap bubble is a very thin film of soap and water. They are shaped like a hollow, round ball, or sphere. Their surface often shows many beautiful colors. Soap bubbles do not last very long. Sometimes they pop in the air. They usually break when they touch something else. People often think of soap bubbles as pretty but short-lived. Because of this, they can be a symbol for other things that are beautiful but do not last long or are not very important. Children love to play with bubbles. Some adults also enjoy watching art made with soap bubbles.
They get their colors from something called iridescence. This means that the colors you see change depending on how the light hits the bubble. It's like a tiny rainbow moving on the bubble's surface!
How Bubbles Get Their Colors
Bubbles look colorful because of how light bounces off their very thin walls. When light hits the bubble, some of it reflects off the outside surface. Other light goes through the first layer and reflects off the inside surface. These two reflected light waves mix together. Depending on the thickness of the bubble wall, some colors get stronger and some disappear. This creates the beautiful, changing colors you see.
Fun with Bubble Artists
Many people enjoy making and playing with soap bubbles. Some people have even become famous artists by creating amazing bubble shows! These artists can make huge bubbles, bubbles inside other bubbles, or even shape bubbles in cool ways.
Here are some well-known bubble artists:
- Tom Noddy, who wrote a book called Bubble Magic
- Keith Michael Johnson
- Fan Yang
- Louis Pearl
- Reinhold Leppert
- Craig Glenday
- John Erck
Images for kids
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A soap bubble.
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A single soap bubble photographed very closely.
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A single soap bubble showing three layers.
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A girl blowing bubbles.
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Several bubbles forming a foam.
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Soap bubbles can easily join together.
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A soap bubble on a surface that really repels water.
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A soap bubble on a liquid surface.
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A woman making bubbles with a long wand.
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Bubble Blowing at Dolores Park during Dyke March, June 2019.
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Adriaen Hanneman, Two Boys Blowing Bubbles (around 1630).
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Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, Soap Bubbles (around 1734).
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A frozen soap bubble on snow at −7 °C (19 °F).
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A professional 'bubbleologist' at the 2009 Strawberry Fair in Cambridge, UK.
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Soap bubbles in downtown Budapest.
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See also
In Spanish: Pompa de jabón para niños
