Dancing Soap Bubbles

Materials:

One tablespoon sugar

Two cups bubble solution

Bubble blower

Large piece of flannel or wool cloth

Piece of paper

Hair brush

What to Do: Add the sugar to the bubble solution. It will make the bubbles stronger and effective for this experiment. Place the piece of flannel or wool over the top of a table or desk.

Gently blow some bubbles onto the piece of cloth. Quickly brush the piece of paper vigorously with the brush to generate a static electrical charge.

Hold the piece of paper over some of the bubbles. When a bubble is attracted by the charge in the paper it will become elongated, assuming the shape of an egg. As you move the paper closer to the bubble, the magnetic attraction caused by the electrical charge will actually lift the bubble into the air, as though it were dancing or inflated with air.

What’s Going On? Nearly all of us have had the experience of touching a door handle after walking across a thick carpet, and receiving a shock. This shock is caused by static electricity, which is generated by the soles of our shoes rubbing against the carpet. Static electricity is the accumulation on an insulated body of electrical charges that do not flow in a current. The piece of paper charged with static electricity will attract the bubbles, which are uncharged lifting them in the air.