BUBBLES

Team
Taiwan
So Much | More To Clean up
1 

Problem
Is it possible to float on water when there are
a large number of bubbles present? Study how
the buoyancy of an object depends on the
presence of bubbles.

2 

Observation

Floating
object

Generating more
bubbles

Object
sinking
3 

Observation
• Total volume of water
increases (water
surface rises)
• Floating object sinks
→ decreased
buoyancy?

4 

Theory 1
When there are no bubbles,
Density of water = 𝜌𝑤 𝑘𝑔 𝜌𝑤

= 1000 𝑚
3
When there are bubbles, 𝑘𝑔 𝜌𝑏

= 1.28~1.3 𝑉𝑏
𝜌𝑏 + 𝑉𝑤 𝜌𝑤 𝑚
3
′ 𝜌𝑤
= 𝝆𝒃
≪ 𝝆𝒘 𝑉𝑏
+ 𝑉𝑤
(𝑉𝑏 = 𝑡𝑕𝑒 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑕𝑒 𝑏𝑢𝑏𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑠) 𝑉𝑏
× 1.29 + 𝑉𝑤 × 1000 𝑉𝑤 × 1000
=
≓ 𝑉𝑏
+ 𝑉𝑤 𝑉𝑏
+ 𝑉𝑤 𝝆
′𝒘 < 𝝆𝒘
When there are enough bubbles present 𝝆
′𝒍 < 𝝆𝒐 < 𝝆𝒘 𝐁
′ = 𝑽𝝆′𝒍 𝒈 < 𝒎𝒈

′ 𝜌𝑤

5 

Experiment 1
• Purpose

• The amount of bubbles
VS
buoyancy
Air stone

Hydrometer(s)

6 

Experiment 1

7 

Experiment 1
Density-Height

1.00
0.95
0.90
0.85
0.80
0.75
(𝑔⁄𝒄𝒎𝟑 ) 0.70
0.65
0.60
0.55
0.50

ρ

0

5

10

∆𝒉𝑾 (cm)

15

20

25

8 

Experiment 1
• Conclusion
– Bubbles cause the effective density of the fluid
to decrease
→ buoyancy of object decreases

9 

Experiment 2

10 

Experiment 2 𝜌𝑏
= 1.28~1.3

B

mg 𝑘𝑔 𝑚

3 𝐹𝑏

11 

Experiment 2

12 

Experiment 2

13 

Experiment 2
Plastic beads float
around randomly

No evident water flow
14 

Experiment 2
• What we know
• Characteristics of system

B

• Confined
• Unconfined

• Large scale water flow
• Unconfined system: Yes
• Confined system: No

• Water flow provides upward lift force
• Possible to float in the presence of
many bubbles

mg 𝐹𝑤 𝐹𝑏

15 

Theory 2 𝑊𝑕𝑒𝑛
𝑏𝑢𝑏𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑠, 𝑡𝑕𝑒
𝑏𝑢𝑏𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑒𝑥𝑒𝑟𝑡 𝑎𝑛
𝑢𝑝𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑕𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑜𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑕𝑒 𝑜𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡. 𝜟𝒎𝒘 𝛥𝑚𝑏 𝐹

= 𝑭𝒘𝒇 + 𝐹𝑏 =
× 𝜟𝒗 +
× 𝛥𝑣′ 𝜟𝒕 𝛥𝑡

16 

Experiment 3
• Purpose
• Quantify the force caused by bubbles and
water flow

17 

Experiment 3

Coach 6

Tank
Force Sensor

Hydrometer

Air Pump

18 

Experiment 3
Amount
of
Bubbles

Impulse
Force

Water
Flow
Speed

Effective
Density

19 

Experiment 3
Impulse Force & Water Flow
Speed

Effective Density

20 

Experiment 3
Effective density―Water flow
speed

Effective density―Impulse force
1.16

1.14

1.14

1.12

1.12

1.10

1.1

ρ

ρ 𝟑

1.08 𝟑

(𝑔⁄𝒄𝒎 )1.08

(𝑔⁄𝒄𝒎 )

1.06
1.06
1.04

1.04
1.02

1.02

1

1.00
0

0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35

F (N)

0

10

20

V (cm/s)

30

21 

Experiment 3 𝐵
′ = 𝑉𝜌𝑔 𝐹

= 𝜌𝐴𝑣 2 𝐵

′ + 𝐹 = 𝑚𝑔 𝑚𝑔
= 𝜌𝐸 𝑉𝑔 𝑉𝜌𝑔
+ 𝜌𝐴𝑣 2 = 𝜌𝐸 𝑉𝑔 𝑉

= 𝐴𝑕 𝐴𝑕𝜌𝑔

+ 𝜌𝐴𝑣 2 = 𝜌𝐸 𝐴𝑕𝑔 𝒗𝟐 𝒗𝟐 𝝆𝑬

= 𝝆 + 𝝆
= 𝝆(𝟏 +
) 𝒉𝒈 𝒉𝒈

22 

Experiment 3
• Conclusion
B

• Unconfined system
• Bubbles lower effective
density
• Water flow (flow speed,
impulse force)
increases effective
density

mg 𝐹𝑏 𝐹𝑤

23 

Conclusion
• Presence of bubbles lower average density of
water
• Buoyancy is decreased
• Confined system
• No evident water flow
• Unconfined system
• Significant impulse force
• Effective density can be raised
• Possible to float in the midst of bubbles

24 

THANK
Y O U
V E R Y
M U C H
f
o
r
listening

25 

Experiment 1
∆𝑕𝑊
45.3
(cm)

20.5
(cm)

∆𝑕𝐻𝑂
Note: ∆𝑕𝐻 = ∆𝑕𝐻𝑂 + ∆𝑕𝑊

Using ∆𝑕𝑊 , we can calculate the theoretical density of the fluid.

Initial
conditions
Area:
42.25(cm2)
Height of
water surface
(𝑕𝑊0 ):
45.3(cm)
Height of
hydrometer
(𝑕𝐻0 ): 20.5
(cm)
Specific
Water: 1.00
Hydrometer:
0.85~1.00
26 

Experiment 1 𝑕
2 𝑕
0 𝑕

1 𝝆

= 𝑨𝒉𝒐 𝑨

𝒉𝟐 − 𝒉𝟏 −𝒉𝒐 𝝆𝒘

→𝝆𝑻

Hydrometer reading→𝝆𝑬

27 

Experiment 1
∆𝑕𝑊 (cm)

∆𝑕𝐻 (cm)

0.7
1.1
1.3
2.0
3.7
3.7
4.1
5.1
7.8
8.8

1.2
2.1
2.0
3.4
6.8
6.5
7.1
9.3
13.5
14.3

ρ′T ( 𝑔 𝑐𝑚

3

0.9846
0.9763
0.9721
0.9571
0.9245
0.9234
0.9170
0.8976
0.8511
0.8373

)

ρ′E (𝑔 𝑐𝑚

3 )

0.9854
0.9743
0.9756
0.9585
0.9170
0.9207
0.9134
0.8866
0.8354
0.8256

0.1
2.1
4.1
6.1
8.1
10.1
12.1
14.1
16.1
18.1
20.1

0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

28 

Things to further investigate
• Besides the impulse force of water and bubbles, what other
forces would act upon the floating object? (Drag? Viscosity?
How will surfactants affect the phenomenon?)
• The final physics of the bubble
• What happens after the floating object sinks for a certain
depth? Is there an absence of bubbles on the top of the object?

29 

Experiment 2

Bubble
generator
Huge bubble

30 

ρ′E

Experiment 1

ρ′H

Output of air small

∆𝑕𝑊 (cm) ∆𝑕𝐻 (cm)

ρ′E

Output of air large

ρ′H

∆𝑕𝑊 (cm) ∆𝑕𝐻 (cm)

ρ′E

ρ′H

0.5

1.2

0.9846 0.9854

4.8

9.1

0.9030 0.8890

1.0

1.6

0.9571 0.9805

5.8

11.5

0.8849 0.8598

1.5

1.0

0.9675 0.9695

6.8

13.6

0.8677 0.8341

ρ

ρ
0.9900

0.9200

0.9850

0.9000

0.9800

0.8800

0.9750

0.8600

0.9700

0.8400

0.9650

0.8200

0.9600

31

0.8000

0.9550
0.5

1.0

1.5

0.7800
∆𝑕𝑊 (cm)

4.8

5.8

6.8 ∆ 𝑕𝑊 (cm) 

Application 1
• Explain the phenomenon
• Bubbles vs. floating object

32 

Application 1 𝑊𝑕𝑒𝑛
𝑡𝑕𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝒏𝒐 𝒐𝒃𝒗𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤, 𝐹𝑤𝑓
𝑖𝑠 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍, 𝑎𝑛𝑑
𝐹𝑏 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑙. 𝑭
= 𝐹𝑤𝑓 + 𝐹𝑏 < 𝑩 − 𝑩′
→ 𝐵′ + 𝐹 < 𝑚𝑔 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔
𝑜𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒔.

33 

Application 1
∆𝑕𝑊 (cm) ∆𝑕𝐻 (cm)

1.0000
0.9800
0.9600
0.9400
0.9200
0.9000
0.8800
0.8600
0.8400
0.8200
0.8000
0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

0.7
1.1
1.3
2.0
3.7
3.7
4.1
5.1
7.8
8.8

1.2
2.1
2.0
3.4
6.8
6.5
7.1
9.3
13.5
14.3

(𝑔

ρ′T 𝑐𝑚
3

) (𝑔

0.9846
0.9763
0.9721
0.9571
0.9245
0.9234
0.9170
0.8976
0.8511
0.8373

ρ′E 𝑐𝑚

3 )

0.9854
0.9743
0.9756
0.9585
0.9170
0.9207
0.9134
0.8866
34
0.8354
0.8256 

Application 2
• Explain the phenomenon
• Water flow vs. sinking object

35 

Application 2 𝐼𝑛
𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛 𝑠𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚, 𝑤𝑕𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑕𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝒐𝒃𝒗𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤, 𝑭𝒘𝒇
𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑠 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑙𝑦. 𝑭
= 𝐹𝑤𝑓 + 𝐹𝑏 > 𝑩 − 𝑩′
→ 𝐵′ + 𝐹 > 𝑚𝑔 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔
𝑜𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒕𝒔.

36 

confined system

Application 2

unconfined
system

37 

Experiment 3
log(Impulse Force) ―log(Water
Flow Speed)
0
0

0.5

1

1.5

2

Explanation

• Frank Go!

-0.5

y = 2.1234x - 3.8632
-1

-1.5

-2

-2.5

-3

38 

Experiment 3
• Experimental Setup

Force gauge
Plastic boards

Tank

Bubble generator

39 

Experiment 3
Bubbles

confined system

0.05

0.25

Convection
Water flow

40

unconfined system 

Experiment 3
0.3

Unconfined system 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒

(𝑁)

0.25

0.2
0.15
0.1

Confined system

0.05
0
0

20

40

60

80

100

120 𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎

(𝑐𝑚2)
41