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Bubble wrap facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
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Bubble wrap, standard and with colored markings as electrostatic discharge materials, and in different bubble

Bubble wrap is a kind of packaging, used for protecting sensitive things that can be broken during transportation. It is made of two very thin pieces of plastic glued together, with many small round air bubbles left inside. When these bubbles are compressed and punctured, they make a popping sound, which for many people is soothing and therefore being used as a stress reliever. It was invented by accident in 1957 by Alfred Fielding.

Composition

Most kinds of bubble wrap is made out of a plastic called Polyethylene. But when shipping delicate electronics and their components, a special plastic type of bubble wrap is used to remove static electricity, this way protecting delicate electronic chips.

The air bubbles, that protect easily broken items, can be found in many different sizes — from as small as 6 millimeters (1/4 inch) in diameter, to as large as 26 millimeters (1 inch) or more. It depends on the size of the thing being wrapped. Some larger objects may also need many covers of bubble wrap to be protected enough. Some mail envelopes contain bubble wrap inside.

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Film alveolar para niños

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