Diameter of a soap bubble increases when it is charged

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the phenomenon of a soap bubble's diameter increasing when it is charged, exploring the underlying reasons and implications of this behavior. Participants engage in both theoretical reasoning and experimental suggestions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Experimental/applied

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that charging a soap bubble with the same type of charge (e.g., adding electrons) leads to repulsion between like charges, which may contribute to an increase in diameter.
  • Another participant expresses skepticism about the claim, advocating for an experimental approach to verify the phenomenon, implying that textbook explanations may not align with practical observations.
  • A challenge is posed to compute the increase in diameter of a charged bubble under specific conditions (1 cm diameter at high voltage), indicating a desire for quantitative analysis.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the validity of the claim regarding the increase in diameter of a charged soap bubble. There is no consensus on the explanation or the implications of the phenomenon, with some advocating for experimental verification.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the potential disconnect between theoretical physics as presented in textbooks and practical experimental results, suggesting that assumptions about the behavior of charged bubbles may need further exploration.

Manis
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"Diameter of a soap bubble increases when it is charged." why?
 
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It is charged with the SAME type of charge, i.e. say you put a lot of electrons on it. Now think of what an electron would like to do to another electron (other than sucker punch it or flip its spin).

Zz.
 


ZapperZ said:
(other than sucker punch it or flip its spin).
:smile:
 


Manis said:
"Diameter of a soap bubble increases when it is charged." why?
Don't believe everything you are told. Take an experimantalist's approach. Make a soap bubble. Then charge it with electricity made with a piece of plastic rubbed by woolen cloth.

I guess this is one more most-stupid-example-found-in-school-textbook-on-physics making kids hating physics and showing them that physics is a set of formulae and rules predicting world behaviour contrary to their own experience.
 


@ZapperZ - exercise for you:
A bubble 1cm in diameter, normal air pressure.
Charge it to 100,000V (or 1 million...)
Compute 'increase' of diameter.
 

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