Surface tension gases. The pressure inside an ideal (one surface) soap bubble can be derived from thermodynamic free energy considerations. At constant temperature and particle number, , the differential Helmholtz energy is given by where is the difference in pressure inside and outside of the bubble, and is the surface tension. In equilibrium, , and so, For a spherical bubble, the volume and surface area are given simply by and Substituting these relations into the previous expression, we find which is equivalent to the Young–Laplace equation when . For real soap bubbles, the pressure is doubled due to the presence of two
Surface-area-to-volume ratio icy or rocky material in outer space may, if it can build and retain sufficient heat, develop a differentiated interior and alter its surface through volcanic or tectonic activity. The length of time through which a planetary body can maintain surface-altering activity depends on how well it retains heat, and this is governed by its surface area-to-volume ratio. For Vesta (r=263 km), the ratio is so high that astronomers were surprised to find that it "did" differentiate and have brief volcanic activity. The moon, Mercury and Mars have radii in the low thousands of kilometers; all three retained heat well