Hooked on Science: Super glowing bubbles

We all know bubbles can be fun. What if you could create super bubbles that glow? You can, and all you need are a few materials from around the house.

Materials

* 6 cups of distilled water

* 1 cup of corn syrup

* 2 cups of dishwashing liquid

Instructions

STEP 1: Mix the water, corn syrup and dishwashing liquid together.

STEP 2: Activate a few glow sticks. Have an adult pour the contents of the glow sticks into the water, corn syrup and dishwashing liquid mixture.

Explanation

Surface tension, an invisible bond that holds water molecules together, is the secret behind creating super bubbles. The dishwashing liquid relaxes the surface tension of the water, allowing it to be more elastic. The corn syrup allows the bubble to form a stronger skin, which keeps the water from evaporating.

Jason Lindsey is a science outreach educator with Hooked on Science. Check out his website hookedonscience.org for webcasts and experiments.