demonstrations:dry_ice_bubble_tower
Dry Ice Bubble Tower
Materials: ★★★ Requires materials not commonly found in school laboratories
Difficulty: ★☆☆ Can be easily done by most teenagers
Safety: ★★☆ Some safety precautions required to perform safely
Categories: Dry Ice
Alternative titles:
Summary
When dry ice is added to a soapy water solution in a tall cylinder, bubbles filled with fog stack on top of each other, creating a snake-like tower that spills over the sides.
Procedure
- Put on cotton or insulated gloves before handling dry ice.
- Add a few drops of food coloring to a transparent measuring cylinder.
- Fill the cylinder halfway with warm water and add a squirt of dish soap.
- Drop a small piece of dry ice into the cylinder.
- Watch as bubbles rise and stack into a foamy tower that spills out.
Links
Dry Ice Soap Tower Bubbles - Yucky Science:
📄 Dry Ice Bubble Tower - RonyesTech: https://www.ronyestech.com/2020/05/dry-ice-bubble-tower-dry-ice-experiments.html
Variations
- Try different amounts of soap to see how it changes the height of the bubble tower.
- Use different temperatures of water.
- Use different container shapes (wide, tall, conical flask) and compare results.
- Add multiple colors of food coloring for a rainbow bubble effect.
Safety Precautions
- Always use adult supervision with dry ice.
- Handle dry ice with gloves or tongs to avoid frostbite.
- Keep dry ice out of the mouth - never ingest it.
- Work in a ventilated space to prevent buildup of carbon dioxide gas.
- Dispose of leftover liquid by pouring it safely down the sink once the dry ice is gone.
Questions to Consider
- Why does the bubble tower form instead of just fog?
- How does the amount of soap affect the bubbles produced?
- What role does sublimation play in creating the fog inside the bubbles?
- Would the experiment work the same with cold water instead of warm water?