Bubbling

Bubbling refers to the formation and rise of gas bubbles through a liquid. It occurs when dissolved gases come out of solution due to changes in temperature, pressure, or chemical reactions, or when gas is produced by a reaction within the liquid. Bubbles rise because gas is less dense than the surrounding liquid, and their motion is influenced by surface tension, viscosity, and flow patterns.

In fluids science, bubble size ranges from microscopic to visible. Nucleation can be homogeneous (in the bulk) or heterogeneous (at surfaces or impurities). The dynamics are governed by buoyancy, interfacial tension, and turbulence; bubbles can merge or split, affecting mixing and mass transfer. Bubbling is central to processes such as carbonation, fermentations, and boiling.

Related phenomena include boiling, where vapor bubbles form inside a liquid when its temperature reaches the boiling point and then rise, and cavitation, where vapor bubbles form from localized low pressure and may implode violently, potentially causing damage to equipment.

In computing, bubbling describes the propagation of an event from the originating element upward through its ancestors in a hierarchical structure, such as the DOM in web browsers. Event handlers at each level can observe or interrupt the propagation.

The term is also used in other fields to describe similar ascent of gas in liquids, and in everyday language to describe effervescence in beverages.