The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-07-19

employ: This is very important mat
ter. Common soap is useless for the
purpose of blowing good bubbles, and
the best thing to use is substance
k k as oleate of soda. which can be
nought at any drug store. If. however,
TINS cannot for any reason be obtained,
CASTLE soap may he used, but this does
not answer so well as the olcate of soda
In either case three quarters of an
OUNCE are weighed out and placed in a
perfectly clean quart bottle, together
with a pint and a half of clean rain
when the oleate will have dissolved in
the water The bottle may be shaken
up occasionally, but must not be heated.
rs this would spoil the solution for max
ing good bubbles. When the oleate of
soda has completely dissolved, add half
is ready for use.
Now make stand of stout copper wire
oy bendlng one end into circular loop
about 212 inches in diameter. and fasten
II either by twisting or, better, by solder
ing the joint, smoothly. Then at about
1nree inches from the loop bend the wire
ut right angles and fix the other end into
a block Of wood. If the loop is thorough
~ Wetted with the soap solution and n
bubble is brought in contact with the
loop, it will adhere to the wire and the
pipe can be removed.
The bubble now remains seated on the
ring and is a very beautiful object, the
most splendid colors chasing each other
across it's surface.
In order to show. first of all. tho preat
elasticity of the bubble, take a clean glass
roo, noistcn it thoroughly with the soap
solution and push it gently through the
side of the bubble. The rod NAV bc
passed completely through the film and
Withdraw without injury to the bubble
1.-the rod is properly wetted with the So
luton. O ~
Next take short piece, say about six
inches, of glass tube having a diameter Of
hait an INCH; dip one end in the solution
and blow the bubble upon it. On remoy-
ing the tube from the mouth the bubble
quickly contracts, forcing out the air
from the interior with such violence that
on bringing lighted taper to the mouth
piece the flame is at once extinguished.
Another capital experiment consists in
dcta,ching bubble from the pipe and
catching it in it's descent on the sleeve Of
the coat; or the experiment may be made
still more effective by substituting for the
coat-sieeve fanncl-covercd tennis rae
Gnet, by means of which the bubble may
ne tossed about with impunity.
and elasticity of the soap film, procure n
few inches Of aluminium wire of about
me thickness of a small pin; or if this
cannot he obtained, piece of horsehnir
VIII answer the purpose. Bend it into a
circular loop of about two inches in d.
ameter, and leave a sufficiency of wire to
form handle. Now take the pipe and
atllx bubble to the underside of the
copper ring. dctach the pipe and remove
the small drop of liquid which adhercs
to the under surface of the bubble by
touching it with the tip of moistened
glass rod. Next moisten the aluminium
ring and gently apply it to the bottom of
the bubble, to which it will at once at
tach itself. Then take some V-shaped
SIPS OF thin paper to act as weights, and
suspend one by one upon the handle of
the aluminium ring. If this is carefully
weights may be added before the COM
blned weights of ring and paper cause
the bubble to break.
When we consider the exceeding thin
ness of the soap-bubble films, their trc
mendous elasticity and strength appear
to be little short of marvellous. To com
pare them to gold leaf, which is one of the
been found that the finest gold leaf ia
4Uo times thicker than the film of Il soap
bubble, whilst it would require $4,000 of
these gold leaves to make Il nile of one
inch in height.
. The lightncss of the bubble may be
HHp!v SHOWN thus: Attach the nine to q
gasburner by means of an India rubber
tube, dip the bowl Of the pipe into the
soap solution, withdraw the pipe and al
low the bubble to fill with gas, the flow
of which can be regulated by pinching
the India rubber tube between the thumb
and first finger. These bubbles fly up to
the ceiling at a great rate and may be set
on fire as they ascend by means of Il
lighted taper affixed to a pole.
Now allow gas bubble to form on the
pipe, but before it detaches itself: apply
the moistcned aluminium ring, to which
has been previously fastened the end of q
piece OF sowing cotton some two or three
yards in length. The bubble will ascend
when released and carry up with it the
aluminus ring and cotton, and remain
floating in midair after the manner of q
captive balloon.
These are only few out of many ex-
periments which may be made with the
soap bubble. Others equally interesting
and wonderful will no doubt suggest
themselves and so far from regarding the
soap bubble as something trivial and only
worthy of the attention Of child it must
be. looked upon rs one of the most mar
Vicious and beautiful objects with which
we can possibly have to do.-New York
Press.