Why do bubbles move in a helix instead of straight up.?

Question

I mean like bubbles under water...

....look at a fizzy drink or aquarium and you will see what I mean....

Answer 1

im assuming you mean bubbles in a drink, not soap bubbles in the air,.

these are affected by drag and hydrostatic forces.

as the bubble (which has a flexible form) moves upwards through the water, the outer skin of the bubble interacts with the water. this drag causes the bubble to be slightly pulled in one way or another. this slightly deforms the bubble, and this causes its direction to change.

Answer 2

Bubbles have a very small mass, therefore they generate a force which acts in the opposite direction. Since this force is small due to small mass, the bubble will go up (but not straight up).

This is confirmed by Newton's second law of motion:

F = ma , where a = gravitational acceleration, g ( = 9.81m/s^2)

Hope that answers you question to your satisfaction.

Answer 3

The bubbles are less dense than the medium that they are travelling through so the bubbles will tend to take the easiest path which is straight up.

Answer 4

air moves in currents, so as each one rises it catches a current. People are like bubbles all human but on thier own wave, path or current as individuals.

Answer 5

You failed to mention that in the NORTHERN Hemisphere the bubbles move in one direction and in the SOUTHERN Hemisphere the bubbles move in the opposite direction... it's true.!

Answer 6

for the most part everyone here is right.

also water molecules are always in motion so they bubbles are going to move as well.

there is no such thing as still water.

Answer 7

A variation of the Coriolois effect. This is caused by the earth's rotation.

Answer 8

Currents...

Answer 9

Hydrostatic properties

Answer 10

i believe, they move in as straight of an up direction as they can, but there may be minute differiences in water density, because nothing is perfectly pure