ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Champagne flow model

Okay, kiddo, let me explain to you what the champagne flow model is. Imagine you have a bottle of soda, and when you open it, you see that fizzy bubbles appear and rise to the top. This is because the carbon dioxide gas inside the soda is trying to escape and reach the surface.

Now, the same thing happens in a bottle of champagne, except the bubbles are created by a different process. In champagne, the bubbles are formed because the carbon dioxide gas is produced during the fermentation process.

When you pour champagne into a glass, the bubbles start to rise from the bottom of the glass towards the surface. The champagne flow model is all about how these bubbles move and change as they rise through the liquid.

Scientists studying this process have found that the bubbles in champagne follow a specific flow pattern. They start out small and round, but as they rise, they begin to merge and create larger bubbles. The larger bubbles rise faster than the smaller ones, so eventually, you end up with a layer of bigger bubbles at the top of the glass.

One interesting thing about the champagne flow model is that it can help explain why some parts of the glass have more bubbles than others. For example, if you pour champagne into a wide, shallow glass, you might notice that the bubbles collect more in the center of the glass. This is because the wider surface area encourages the merging of bubbles, creating larger ones that rise faster.

So, to sum it all up, the champagne flow model is a way of understanding how the bubbles in champagne move and change as they rise through the liquid. It helps explain why some parts of the glass have more bubbles than others and why the bubbles tend to collect at the top of the glass. Cheers!