When pouring a carbonated beverage in a glass, there is a steady stream of bubbles all originating from the same spots all around the glass. Why aren’t the bubbles random or evenly distributed?
Thanks!
In: Chemistry
Bubble formation is called “nucleation”. It is easier for an existing bubble to get bigger than it is for a bubble to form from nothing. If your glass has tiny imperfections in its surface then tiny bubbles can get trapped on the surface of the glass. These trapped tint bubbles are great spots for nucleation. The carbonation in the soda causes them to get bigger until they are so big that they break away and float up to the top of the liquid. But the original trapped bubble is left behind. The process repeats and it will appear that the bubbles are all coming from the same place.
It also works with anything “rough” like a small piece of sand.
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