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How to Make Crazy Levitating Bubbles

video How to Make Crazy Levitating Bubbles

Another of my Halloween Demonstrations. This simple but amazing video explains how everyday bubbles can float on a magic layer of air. It all has to do with density of air and some dry ice.
Air is less dense than CO2. It is mostly N2 and the bubbles magically float of the CO2.

Music: Kevin MacLeod

19 comments

Feb 25, 2008. 3:43 PMbigcheeze says:

could you do this with a little paper boat

Jul 31, 2011. 12:28 PMdrahcus says:

I've never gotten it to work with a paper boat, but it can be done with a boat made of tinfoil.

Mar 24, 2008. 10:04 AMn0ukf says:

No, the paper boat would be heavier than any gas. As he said in the paragraph under the video, this works because the regular air (nitrogen, oxygen and the rest of the mix we breathe) in the bubbles is lighter than CO2 and the soap bubble encapsulating the air isn't heavy enough to counteract this difference. You could do this with about any heavier-than-air (denser) gas, but CO2 is the easiest to obtain in the form of dry ice. Nice touch at the end dowsing the candle by pouring the CO2 on it.

Jun 28, 2008. 9:03 AMZaphodQB says:

you are wrong, see my last post.

Jul 1, 2008. 7:23 PMbigcheeze says:

why the hell r u attacking me?

Apr 20, 2010. 10:58 AMzombiehunter96 says:

Mabey he saw the nuclear bird and thought it was to provoke an attack? XD

Mar 27, 2008. 10:04 AMitsmanofpopsicle says:

You are WRONG! i know that sulfer hexafluoride can hold 10 pounds! YOU ARE WRONG!

Mar 27, 2008. 11:42 PMn0ukf says:

Your statement is incomplete. More complete would be "a container of X volume of air will support Y weight floating on sulfur hexafluoride."

To demonstrate your point, how would you go about making sulfur hexafluoride?

To demonstrate this compound you pointed out, I found this video:

Though they didn't say why in the video, as with CO2 you want to purge this heavier-than-air gas from your lungs if you inhale it, or you'll asphyxiate.

Mar 28, 2008. 7:57 AMitsmanofpopsicle says:

you don't make it, dumbo. You buy it from a chemist's store. DUHUR!

Mar 24, 2008. 11:42 AMbigcheeze says:

ok. oh! what if u made a saran wrap cube.

Mar 25, 2008. 7:06 PMn0ukf says:

The Saran Wrap would still be too heavy from its thickness. What is the thickness (and resulting mass) of the soap bubbles? Compare that to any other material you might consider using to attempt this feat.

Sep 25, 2009. 5:17 AMpyrorower says:

Hey, just so you know, although paper MAY be too dense for this, aluminum foil would work very well. Don't forget that the net upward buoyancy force is equal to the magnitude of the weight of fluid displaced by the body. This means that if the boat can displace enough air, it can easily float. The metal in ships is far denser than the ocean around it yet they still float. I say give it a shot bigcheeze!

Mar 30, 2008. 4:46 PMbigcheeze says:

ok.i'll shut my idea trap

Apr 3, 2008. 12:04 PMdamasta says:

you just need to find something less dense then co2, like soap bubbles, you should try that!

Jun 28, 2008. 9:02 AMZaphodQB says:

itsmanofpopsicle is right!
see this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAsOfqCy4A0