Beer Bubbles

Reported December 2007

NEW YORK, N.Y. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- We often take for granted many of the scientific wonders that exist in our world. But did you ever think there was something amazing going on in your beer. Well maybe if you’ve had too many. But really, there is a lot brewing in that brew.

“If you look closely, there is beautiful physics and beautiful mathematics involved. Some bubbles grow, some bubbles shrink,” physicist David Srolovitz, Ph.D., said.

And the average bubble size goes up, while the number of bubbles shrink, until there are no more. By adapting mathematical formulas that already exist in two dimensions to three, Dr. Srolovist can predict how the bubbles will react.

So who cares? Engineers do, because metal is made up of a pattern of grains that act like bubbles!

“If we envision that each of these grains just like a bubble, the way each grain grows or shrinks is exactly the same theory. By changing grain size, you can make a material stronger or weaker,” Dr. Srolovitz said.

Whether it’s for parts of an airplane or a bridge, heat-treating metal controls grain size and gives engineers the ability to manipulate it. But Dr. Srolovitz says the beverage industry is also interested in this.

“One thing you want to do if you are in the beer business is that what you produce is consistent from glass to glass,” Dr. Srolovitz said.

So next time you chug down that bubbly brew, you can appreciate the science in the suds.

The American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America contributed to the information contained in the TV portion of this report.

Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:

David J. Srolovitz
Yeshiva University
New York, NY
(212) 960-5214
srol@yu.edu

Mathematical Association of America
Washington, DC 20036-1358
(800) 741-9415
http://www.maa.org

For more information on the math and physics in everyday life:

American Mathematical Society
(800) 321-4267
http://www.ams.org

American Physical Society
(301) 209-3238
http://www.aps.org
Riordon@aps.org

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