Maths Squad Activities
There are lots of different bubble mixture recipes available on the internet, but most of them are written by Americans and use American detergents. This recipe is used by the Questacon Maths Squad using ingredients available in Australia.
- 3 parts dishwashing liquid (Morning Fresh works well)
- 7 parts hotwater
- 1 part glycerol (or sugar)
The glycerol helps the bubble to last longer, by preventing them from drying out. Glycerol is available from pharmacies and some supermarkets. If you cannot get any glycerol, use sugar instead.
Mix the ingredients very thoroughly. The batch used by the Maths Squad was mixed for around half an hour. If you are making a large amount, try an electric drill with a paint-stirrer attachment, or even a bent piece of coathanger wire. Otherwise a flat stick works fine.
There are a few things that may affect how well your bubble mix works.
Bubble mix gets better with age. With time, some water may evaporate from the bubble mix and it may need more water added.
Humidity can seriously affect your bubbles. Bubbles burst when they dry out, so the more humid it is the longer they last. Bubbles work best at night, in the shade and while it is raining. Air conditioners can dry the air which bursts bubbles faster.
The quality of the tap water in your area may also affect your bubble mixture. Hard water doesn’t work as well as soft water. You may need to try distilled water instead of tap water.
You may need to “fine-tune” your bubble mix, either by adding more detergent or more water. Experiment a little. Remember to stir thoroughly.
Froth on the top can interfere with making bubbles.
Cleanup
Vinegar can be very effective for cleaning up bubble mixture. If you are using metal bubble frames, they will need to be wiped down with water, then with vinegar, then with water again. Otherwise they will corrode. The bubble mix can be kept in an airtight container.