The Life of a Free Soap Film

TL;DR

This paper presents novel experimental techniques for studying the retraction and properties of soap films, enabling detailed high-speed observations of film dynamics previously inaccessible.

Contribution

Development of new methods to produce uniform soap film release along straight edges, allowing detailed high-speed analysis of film retraction and edge development.

Findings

High-speed photography captures detailed film retraction dynamics.

New techniques enable study of film properties not accessible before.

Uniform film release along straight edges improves experimental control.

Abstract

"The Life of a Free Soap Film" is a fluid dynamics video for the Gallery of Fluid Motion intended to showcase the novel experimental techniques that we have developed in our laboratory to study the retraction of planar liquid films of various shapes and sizes as well as other film properties not accessible before. Unlike previous experimental studies that have used rupture to initiate the retraction of a liquid film from a point, we can produce the uniform release of a soap film along a straight edge up to many centimeters in length and capture the subsequent retraction of the film and details concerning the development of the edge using high speed photography. This video only hints at the astonishing life of a "free" soap films.