Bubble Bottle STEM Challenge

Bubbles are an interesting mixture of materials. They are usually made out of a blend of soap, water, and air. The soap and water form the outside surface of the bubble and the air is trapped on the inside. Bubbles are very delicate and they don’t last very long before they pop.

We start by doing the Bottle Bubble challenge and it takes some practice before students get good at the technique.  While blowing gently into the bottle, they should keep their mouths 1-2 inches away from the bottle.   After blowing some air into the bottle, they can attach the top and the bubble will become surprisingly stable as the air pressure on both sides is equalized.  Encourage them to push the bubble down and then to pull it up gently to see what happens.  They can even push the bubbles back and forth swaying in a similar way than dancers doing the hula dance.   Some hula music at this point always adds to the fun.

For the Bubble Trampoline you can let kids use a combination of straws and string or something as simple as a paper bowl or piece of cardboard with the center cut out of it.   If you can get bubble film across it, you can turn it into a bubble trampoline.   We have our students measure how far the bubble tramp can push away from the center as we want to emphasize the amazing ability of water to attract to itself.