Bubbles are everywhere -- in water and in air, made from soap and from gas. They are referenced in literature and sung about in songs, and they're even the subject of great works of art. From the youngest child blowing bubbles in the backyard to the adult studying the fascinating science behind them, bubbles capture our imagination. F. Ronald Young's far-reaching survey of the humble bubble explores the complex behavior of these seemingly simple objects. If you stop to think about it, bubbles and droplets are cornerstones of the world around us. They are the reason that dolphins cannot swim faster, that the sky is blue, and that coffee rings form. They are essential to knowing how atom smashers work, how detergents clean dishes, and how to pour a perfect pint.Beyond these basics, Young shows how humans have put bubbles to use throughout history. Whether in technology -- making fire-fighting foams and waterproof makeup -- or in medicine -- cleaning wounds and clarifying ultrasounds -- bubbles are capable of more than most of us have imagined. With easy-to-understand explanations, detailed illustrations, and entertaining anecdotes, Young reveals the Fizzics behind these familiar -- yet surprising -- objects.
Preface Prologue 1. The Physics of Fizzy: Gas Bubbles in Liquid Bubbles in Beer and Volcanoes The Ins and Outs of Bubble Oscillations Springboard and Platform Diving Propellers, Pumps, and Porpoises Knuckle Cracking Dams Cartesian Divers Bubbles in Your Bubbly The Ascent of Sap in Trees Ceramic Bubbles White- Water Physics 2. Raining Cats and Dogs: Liquid Droplets in a Gas Faucet Physics Spider's Web Liquid-Drop Model of the Atomic Nucleus The Swirl of Bath Water Morning Dew Acid Rain Bubble Chambers and Atom Smashers Clouds Thunder and Lightning Snow Hail Vapor Trails The Rainbow Halos Glories The Green Flash The Blue Sky 3. The Perfect Pint: The Science of Foams Liquid Foams Free-Fighting Foams Honeycombs and Mattresses Bones Mining Foams Foams on the Farm 4. Where There's Life, There's Soap: The Science of Surface Tension Soap Bubbles Coffee Rings Soap Molecules The Bubble That Lived The Soapy Computer Bubble Raft Anti-Bubbles Feeling the Tension Record-Breaking Bubbles 5. Poetry in the Ocean: Bubbles in the Sea A Storm at Sea Bubble Nets Fish-Killing Bubbled Bubblese Hiding Mines 6. What Light from Yonder Bubble Breaks? Sonoluminescence The Star in the Jar Liquid Light Light from Breaking Glass Sonoluminescence in Space 7. In the Operating Theatre: Medical Bubbles Cleaning a Wound The Bends Bubbles in the Blood Bubbles in the Bladder Designer Bubbles Epilogue Glossary References Index
""A friendly foray into the humble bubble, from honeycombs and soaps to sunset flashes, written by a physicist in the field.""
