AbstractGases covering a wide solubility range were used to measure absorption rates from single bubbles rising freely in water. Absorption rates were not sensitive to any power of the diffusion coefficient and solubility alone proved to be an adequate correlating parameter.Experiments with bubbles containing inert and soluble gas mixtures yielded no evidence for a gas‐film resistance, confirming published theory.Results for the absorption of CO2by NaOH solutions correlated well with the theory for pseudo‐first‐order fast reactions, provided allowance was made for a decreasing “physical” solubility of CO2with increasing ionic strength of the