Fizzics : the science of bubbles, droplets, and foams / F. Ronald Young.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Young, F. Ronald, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Gases--Popular works.

Gases.

Bubbles--Popular works.

Bubbles.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (137 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"We've all spent summers past blowing bubbles in the backyard. But the humble bubble (and its opposite, the droplet) are fascinating cornerstones of the world around us. This book, breathtaking in its scope, describes for a general reader (no math, no physics, no equations) the compelling behavior of these seemingly simple objects. Young reveals the secrets of successful springboard diving, whether knuckle cracking gives you arthritis, and why dolphins can't go faster. The realm of droplets allows our author to showcase why the sky is blue, how atom smashers work, and the rich source of science that is the kitchen faucet. He explores collections of bubbles--foams--and discusses the early years of Margaret Thatcher, how a metallic foam might save the planet, and the never-ending quest for the perfect pint. Then, by looking at soap films, he tells you how to construct a soapy computer, why coffee rings form, and exactly how a detergent gets dishes clean. Beyond these basics, Young shows how humans put bubbles to use, whether in technology (refining minerals, making concrete harder, or generating light) or in medicine (cleaning wounds with hydrogen peroxide, the debilitating process of the bends, and how pharmaceutical bubbles can make ultrasounds far clearer). This is more than a book that explains science. It is a love letter written to sing the praises of the bubble, and can be read by the bright middle schooler on upward"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Cover

Contents

Preface

Prologue

1 The Physics of Fizzy: Gas Bubbles in Liquid

Bubbles in Beer and Volcanoes

The Ins and Outs of Bubble Oscillations

Springboard and Platform Diving

Propellers, Pumps, and Porpoises

Knuckle Cracking

Dams

Cartesian Divers

Bubbles in Your Bubbly

The Ascent of Sap in Trees

Ceramic Bubbles

White- Water Physics

2 Raining Cats and Dogs: Liquid Droplets in a Gas

Faucet Physics

Spider's Web

Liquid- Drop Model of the Atomic Nucleus

The Swirl of Bath Water

Morning Dew

Acid Rain

Bubble Chambers and Atom Smashers

Clouds

Thunder and Lightning

Snow

Hail

Vapor Trails

The Rainbow

Halos

Glories

The Green Flash

The Blue Sky

3 The Perfect Pint: The Science of Foams

Liquid Foams

Fire- Fighting Foams

Honeycombs and Mattresses

Bones

Mining Foams

Foams on the Farm

4 Where There's Life, There's Soap: The Science of Surface Tension

Soap Bubbles

Coffee Rings

Soap Molecules

The Bubble That Lived

The Soapy Computer

Bubble Rafts

Anti- Bubbles

Feeling the Tension

Record- Breaking Bubbles

5 Poetry in the Ocean: Bubbles in the Sea

A Storm at Sea

Bubble Nets

Fish- Killing Bubbles

Bubbles Hiding Mines

6 What Light from Yonder Bubble Breaks? Sonoluminescence

The Star in the Jar

Sonoluminescent Sources

Liquid Light

Light from Breaking Glass

Sonoluminescence in Space

7 In the Operating Theatre: Medical Bubbles

Cleaning a Wound

The Bends

Bubbles in the Blood

Bubbles in the Bladder

Designer Bubbles

Epilogue

Glossary

A

C

E

F

G

H

I

M

N

O

P

R

S

U

Z

References

Index

B

D

J

K

L

T

V

W

Y

Color illustrations.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-4214-0113-4

OCLC:

798295714