Toying Around With Chemistry

Glycerol

Glycerol is one of the main ingredients in soap bubbles that children love to play with.  Glycerol allows bubbles to last longer without bursting due to the strong hydrogen bonds it makes with the water molecules in the air (it reduces evaporation).

Another reason that glycerol is used in bubble making is that glycerol makes the walls of the bubbles a bit thicker, allowing the bubble to hold it's structure even longer.
 
 

The chemical structure for glycerol is C₃H₅(OH)₃.

 

Interesting facts

about glycerol:

Density is 1.261 g/cm³

^{Melting point 17.8 oC}

^{Boiling point 290 oC}

^{Water solubility is miscible}

^{Clear, colorless, viscous liquid}

^{When frozen it turns into a gummy paste}

^{If glycerol was placed on a human it would blister and burn the skin because it dehydrates surfaces.}

^{It is a good solvent}

^{Has three alcohol groups, an alcohol group is connected to each one of the carbons}

^{Other names for glycerol are 1,2,3-propanetriol, glycyl alcohol, glycertiol, propanetriol, and trihydroxypropane.  The most commonly used synonym is glycerin.  But glycerin is the impure commercial product of glycerol, but the same structure.}

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycerin

http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/bubbles/bubble_meets_bubble.html

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/glycerin.html

http://webbook.nist.gov/cgi/cbook.cgi?ID=C56815&Units=SI

http://chemfinder.cambridgesoft.com/

www.usefilm.com/image/521800.html