Why do mentos cause soda to explode

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A soda geyser is a physical reaction between a carbonated beverage, usually Diet Coke , and Mentos mints that causes the beverage to be expelled from its container. The candies catalyze the release of gas from the beverage, which creates an eruption that pushes most of the liquid up and out of the bottle. The tubes of candies were threaded onto a pipe cleaner and dropped into the soft drink to create a geyser. At the end of the s, the manufacturer of Wintergreen Lifesavers increased the size of the mints, and they no longer fit in the mouth of soda bottles. Science teachers found that Mentos candies had the same effect when dropped into a bottle of any carbonated soft drink. The experiment became a subject of the television show MythBusters in The eruption is caused by a physical reaction , rather than any chemical reaction.

Why do mentos cause soda to explode

What causes Coke to explode when Mentos are added to it? One would think that there must be a chemical reaction that causes the Coke and Mentos reaction to be so attractive and satisfying. The gas tries to escape and form bubbles around any irregular surface, called a nucleation site. Mentos also have nucleation sites because they are not as smooth as they appear. When added to Coke, the dissolved gas pushes the liquid out of the container at a super-fast speed in the form of bubbles. The candies simply catalyze the release of gas from the Coke bottle. Therefore, the chemical reaction between Coke and Mentos, in reality, is a physical reaction. No matter how messy or sticky the experiment is, there are only two ingredients required to make this geyser. One bottle of 2-liter fizzy drink, preferably Diet Coke, and Mentos are needed in an adequate quantity to give a spectacular reaction. For a 2-liter bottle of Coke, at least five Mentos are good enough. Moreover, all Mentos must be added to the drink simultaneously, giving each of them equal time to create an effect. The pressure is lower and carbon dioxide does not nucleate.

To understand how the surface of the Mento causes the CO 2 bubbles to nucleate, think about how rock candy is made. Diet Coke and Mentos eruption.

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By Science Buddies. If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. Key concepts Chemistry Physics Materials science Carbonation Physical reactions Explosions Introduction Have you ever seen the Diet Coke and Mentos experiment that is all over the Internet and wondered what makes the reaction work? You might think that there is some ingredient in a Mentos candy that causes a chemical reaction with the soda pop, like the way baking soda reacts with vinegar. But the amazing eruption that takes place when Mentos are dropped into Diet Coke or other brands of diet soda pop is not a chemical reaction at all! Instead it is a physical reaction. That means that all of the pieces of the reaction are there, but that they are simply rearranged.

Why do mentos cause soda to explode

This causes pressure to build in the bottle and send a spectacular jet of bubbles shooting into the air. Video advice: Why does soda explode when you shake it? Ever wonder why soda explodes when you shake it before opening the can or bottle? Watch this video on YouTube. Recipe for Disaster — Drop a few Mentos into a two-liter bottle of soda, and a geyser of foam erupts rapidly, sometimes reaching heights of 15 feet or more. Bursting a Bubble The bubbles in a bottle of soda are caused by molecules of dissolved carbon dioxide. Generally, water molecules like to stay next to each other, which prevents any dissolved gases from collecting.

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What causes Coke to explode when Mentos are added to it? However, experiments have shown that some dissolved solids that increase the surface tension of water such as sugars also increase fountain heights. As the Mentos candy sinks in the bottle, the candy causes the production of more and more carbon dioxide bubbles, and the rising bubbles react with carbon dioxide that is still dissolved in the soda to cause more carbon dioxide to be freed and create even more bubbles, resulting in the eruption. The force exerted by the soda stream can be harnessed to do work. While Diet Coke has been studied and suggested that it has the strongest effect, [31] at least one other study has demonstrated that all diet sodas essentially work equally well within experimental error. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. Skip to content. Gases are dissolved in magma at pressures many thousands of times atmospheric pressure. Forgot password? Observations and results Was the eruption higher when whole Mentos candies were used compared with crushed candies? Because of this, the addition of Mentos candies to a carbonated beverage provides enormous numbers of pre-existing bubbles into which dissolved carbon dioxide can escape. Line up where the opening of the bottle is with the opening of your cartridge. The addition of the Mentos leads to the rapid nucleation of carbon dioxide gas bubbles, degassing the solution: [2] [20] [21] [22] [23]. Greenleaf Book Group Press. The carbon dioxide molecules attach to the surfaces of the Mentos like they did in the cup of soda.

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Cut a piece of paper so that it is as wide as a roll of Mentos. Diet Coke and Mentos: What is really behind this physical reaction?. Now take the pipe cleaner out and place a Mento in the soda. Is it more or less than the amount that was left when you used whole candies? Place a straw in the soda and look at the straw from the side. Sign up Sign up to read all wikis and quizzes in math, science, and engineering topics. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science. Bibcode : Natur. The CO 2 is dissolved in the Coke under pressure. Have you ever noticed that when you put a straw in soda pop, the straw gets a lot of bubbles on it? On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. Campbell Journal of Chemical Education.