Hydrostatic bubbles, also known as philosophical bubbles, gravity beads, aerometrical beads, or hydrometer beads, are a form of hydrometer devised in 1757 by Alexander Wilson of Glasgow. Isabella Lovi, an Edinburgh-based glassblower and instrument maker, modified and patented the design in 1805.
The tool, which consists of a set of glass beads, appears to be unique to Scotland and was only employed (for example, to determine the density of spirits) until the early nineteenth century, when it was mainly replaced by more accurate methods.
Operating principle
Lovi’s version of the device consisted of a series of hollow glass beads, each with a density difference of 0.002 units. When added to an unknown density liquid, beads that were more dense than the liquid sank while those that were less dense floated. The liquid’s density was calculated to be between that of the least dense bead that sank and the most dense bead that floated.
The functioning principle is comparable to that of a Galilean thermometer.
When the Gungans were forced underwater by the Grizmalltian colonists who ruled Naboo, they invented hydrostatic bubble technology. The bubble worked by projecting a membrane field that displaced water and prohibited external items from entering the bubble except at particular entry points. Each bubble had a base made of a lightweight alloy lattice and transparisteel, which housed the bubble’s generator. Utanodes projected average-sized bubbles, while a kernode assembly produced larger bubbles. The underside of the base was a long, pointed spire with counterweights and repulsor field generators that kept the bubble upright and stable.
The technology’s progress eventually led to its employment in automobiles and military shields.
