by Dr. Erica
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Create super-sized bubbles with science that will get giggles galore.
Homemade Bubble Solution Recipe
There isn’t a time of year where making giant bubbles is off the list. Even in winter you can make your own bubble solution to blow icy bubbles that can freeze on your deck – which is a super cool experiment in and of itself.
Making your own bubble solution is easy and cheap, and one of the best ways to make your own giant bubbles. Using a homemade bubble solution, even when you don’t want to make giant bubbles, creates sturdier bubbles that are easier to blow and will float more before popping.
Bubble Solution Ingredients:
Storebought bubble solution modification:
- Bubble solution (you can get it at the dollar store)
- Corn syrup, corn starch, or glycerine
Homemade giant bubble solution recipe
Making a homemade bubble solution that creates giant bubbles is simple.
Mix 1 cup of dish detergent into 6 cups of water. Then add in either a few tablespoons of glycerine or 1/4 cup of corn syrup/cornstarch and stir.
To modify regular store bought bubble solution into a giant bubble solution just add a little glycerine or corn syrup.
Why do you add glycerine or corn syrup to bubble solution?
Every giant bubble solution recipe you come across will have some form of glycerine or starch added. Why do you want to add glycerine or corn syrup to a bubble solution?
The answer to that goes to how bubbles are formed.
A soap molecule has two ends to it, one end that loves water and another end that hates water. A bubble is basically a soap/water sandwich. Soap molecules form the bread of the sandwich, while water is in the middle. As the water evaporates the sandwich gets thinner and thinner until the water-lovingpieces of the soap molecules have no more water to touch and pop goes your bubble.
By adding glycerine or cornstarch you are changing the evaporation rate of the water. Not only that, but the water becomes “stretchy” with all of the starch present. Thus you have a bubble solution that is thicker, doesn’t evaporate, and can stretch a little bit!
