Bubbles are fun, but they’re not known for lasting long. But with a little trial and error, one YouTuber recently set about dramatically improving both the elasticity and size of his rainbow-colored spheres. The result may not technically be “infinite” bubbles, but it’s still a step above your average summertime creation.
YouTuber Engine G Over the years, we’ve documented a variety of ingenious contraptions online. Endless Bubble Machine The endeavor is a particularly creative feat of design and problem-solving: after deducing that one of the main limitations of soap bubbles is the liquid they are made from, Engineezy (real name Jay) theorized that a system that provides a constant supply of the necessary material could enable bubbles to grow exponentially in size, potentially even lasting seemingly forever.
While initial experiments with a large hand wand showed promise, it couldn’t move fast enough to keep making bubbles before they popped. After many design iterations, the final solution was to mount a remote-controlled bubble-making device on a car, powered by a servo and DC motor and assisted by a fishing pole.
A quick excursion to a nearby car park revealed the impressive capabilities of the bubble machine: while Jay wasn’t able to produce consistent bubble tunnels, he was able to produce very large individual bubbles before popping.
“Bubbles are an example of a delicate balance between the surface tension of the fluid and the internal pressure of the air in the bubble,” he says. He explains in the video“This balance is so precise that even the slightest change can cause the bubble to burst.”
As the bubble gets longer, the chances of small changes only increase, meaning that bursting is essentially inevitable in an uncontrolled environment. Because of this, he concludes that creating infinitely long bubbles is theoretical, not practical, at least without a laboratory-level vacuum chamber scenario.
[Related: In the blink of an eye, robot sets new Rubik’s cube Guinness World Record.]
Engin Gee created a bubble estimated to be 50 feet long, but he may not have set a record for the world’s largest bubble.According to GuinnessThe record for bubbles made with a net is 28.635 square meters, or about 308 square feet. That said, he’s “pretty confident” he’s built the world’s largest bubble machine. And while it’s unlikely many others will be able to replicate his invention, he did give viewers a recipe for a popular concentrate that uses just four readily available ingredients to make giant bubbles.
- 4 grams of polymeric lubricant powder, such as J-Lube
Mix all of this with 2 gallons of water and you’ll have all the ingredients you need to blow bubbles.
