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A standard double bubble with equal-volume chambers
A standard double bubble with equal-volume chambers. If the two bubbles that meet have equal volumes of air, the shared membrane between them is a flat disc. But in the case of unequal volumes, the smaller bubble, given its larger internal pressure, will bow slightly into the larger bubble. In either scenario, the two bubbles always meet at angles of 120 degrees.
More about this Image
Research of this type is called optimal geometry and it involves a great deal of math and science. Optimal geometry is concerned with geometric figures and their properties, and specifically: what shape or configuration of shapes best meets a situation's given constraints.
[Research supported by National Science Foundation grants DMS 0203434 and DMS 9876471.]
To learn more about optimal geometry involving soap bubbles, see NSF Discovery story "Double Soap Bubbles: Proof Positive of Optimal Geometry." (Year of image: 1995)
Credit: ©John M. Sullivan, University of Illinois and Technical University of Berlin
Special Restrictions: This image is copyright. The owner of this image, Professor John M. Sullivan, has granted permission to use the image free of charge, for nonprofit use only. Any other use of this image is strictly prohibited without explicit permission from Professor Sullivan, who can be reached via e-mail at Sullivan@math.tu-berlin.de; or by telephone at the Institut fur Mathematick in Berlin, Germany, at +49-30-314-29260.
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