Why do bubbles blown from the same wand within the same blow have different colors from one another?

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Why do bubbles blown from the same wand within the same blow have different colors from one another?

In: Chemistry

Anonymous 0 Comments

Bubbles make rainbows because of what’s called “thin film interference.” Here’s a Khan Academy video on that: https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/light-waves/interference-of-light-waves/v/thin-film-interference-part-1

Short answer is that different bubbles shine in different colors because there are tiny differences in the thickness of the wall of the bubble that causes different wavelengths to interfere, therefore different colors. Blowing through a plastic wand is not a precise process, so different bubbles end up with different thicknesses even with the same breath.