Assume what logistics you need to in order for something like this to be possible. Can a fruit fly move through a large bubble without popping it?
2 Answers
To get through the wall of the bundle, I think you can ignore surface tension, as the fly has to ""cut" through it.
The air pressure inside any spherical bubble is higher than atmosphere pressure so I don't believe the fly will make it through.
From this post Air Pressure inside Soap Bubbles, the higher air pressure will obviously escape to the atmosphere, and with soap bubbles, I can't see how that could not result in the wall of the bubble bursting at a very rapid rate.
It would probably give the light fruit flies a free ride, as the air escaped suddenly in the opposite direction to the direction the fly originally was trying to move in.
With heavier material bubble walls, the bubble would still collapse around the fly, even if it did manage to cut its way through.
At higher altitudes, the "getting through the bubble" problem for the fly increases, as differential air pressure between the inside and out of the bubble increases, making the bubble more likely to collapse.
This is a fruit fly trap, made of bubbles, The flies are attracted by the bait and get stuck in the soap bubbles. Red wine is used as bait and some dish soap is added. A cover is put on top and the glass is shaken to make the bubbles.
From personal experience, animals with antennae, such as flies and ants, will stay away from the walls of soap bubbles, as the soap overwhelms their sense of smell and taste.
I did not try it myself, but, according to www.chymist.com/soap%20bubbles%20part%202.pdf , "You can catch a bubble or put your finger, hand, or even an arm through a soap film without breaking it by first spreading the soap solution over the skin surface. As long as a surface or your skin is wet, even with water, soap bubbles generally will not break when they contact that surface." Maybe the same is true for a fly.
- 27,962
