The "child who died from combining Mentos and Coca-Cola" story is an updating of an older legend that began in 1979. In comparison, diet cokes showed reduced reaction times. It could easily have got quite serious, i think. Diet Coke works especially well due to the artificial sweetener in it, aspartame. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. In order for more carbon dioxide bubbles to be created, the bonds with the ambient water in the soda have to be broken. Pouring soda into a muddy hole in the ground does the same, so the Mentos are totally unnecessary. Why does Mentos react to soda? I'm addicted to Crystal Pepsi: https://youtu.be/qEjy3dS6COs \"HAVE A CRYSTAL PEPSI DAY!\" - L.A. Open the soda and place the index card over the bottle opening. But there have been no rigorous scientific studies of the reaction until now. Second, even if one did get a strong reaction to eating and drinking Mentos and Diet Coke at the same time, you'd likely just quickly vomit up the foam, which there have been numerous recorded instances of. The carbon dioxide within the soda undergoes nucleation to become gas, and thus the sound is a result of it escaping. These chemicals are found in the shell itself as well as in the soda mixture, and they contribute to the formation of pressurised foam. While we cant really know what kind of damage this kid may have done to his stomach, the results were fairly predictable. But caffeine-free Diet Coke did just as well, suggesting that caffeine does not accelerate the reaction, at least at the normal levels in the drink. Put the open end of your tube of Mentos on the card and place it directly over the opening of the soda bottle. They are dense and sink. However, i think it's a case of using a relatively inert powder with something carbonated. After a lot of debate, scientists are now saying that the primary cause of Coke & Mentos geysers is a physical reaction, not a chemical reaction. And while Snopes long ago debunked the rumor that eating Mentos and drinking Diet Coke can kill you, exercising caution when attempting to mix these two products together is recommended. Why is Diet Coke a better choice for this experiment than other sodas? Carbon dioxide is the force that pushes the liquid out of the bottle in a fraction of a second. Plus, some folks swear diet sodas make for higher geysers. The Diet Coke and Mentos experiment results from the nucleation of carbon dioxide from liquid to gas. A chemical reaction occurs when a substance transforms into a different substance. Author: William Ramirez. You'll suddenly experience an upsurge of soda foam and will likely burp or vomit up large amounts of the stuff in seconds. However, most of the carbonation is released from the soda as it is being drunk, so the pressure is lower and carbon dioxide is less likely to nucleate. "It's a great way to get students excited about science and learn something new. Claim: A mixture of Mentos and Coca-Cola killed two Brazilian children. Not surprising from a fellow who doesnt think people actually buy Mentos casually. No Dude, they just make them for Coca-Cola experiments. This uneven texture provides a perfect surface to disrupt the solution and serves as an excellent attachment point for nucleated bubbles of gas. The bubbles' buoyancy coupled with their rapid growth, causes them to rise to the surface, resulting in an eruption of foamy diet soda. Many people speculated that the geyser was the result of an acid base reaction, given the low pH of soda. mentos eruption. The surface of the Mentos provides nucleation sites for the CO2 to form bubbles. 0:00 / 5:15 Diet Coke and Mentos Human Experiment **DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME** | Furious Pete Furious Pete 5.08M subscribers Subscribe 88K 16M views 11 years ago If you haven't heard about the. However, most of the carbonation is released from the soda as it is being drunk, so the pressure is lower and carbon dioxide is less likely to nucleate. "If you drop a pack of Mentos into a bottle of Diet Coke, you get this huge fountain of spray and Diet Coke foam coming out," says Tonya Coffey, a physicist at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. However, the only way to know what would happen would be to do an experiment. This is the same thing that happens to any other container with volatile ingredients. Opening a soda generates the characteristic 'pop' and 'hiss' sound many are familiar with. Surfactants are compounds that lower the surface tension (or interfacial tension) between two liquids or between a liquid and a solid. As for what happens when carbonated beverage encounters Mentos, when a roll of the sweets is dropped into a two-liter bottle of Diet Coke, the combination works to produce an impressive geyser of brown froth that shoots about 20 feet into the air (although some of these pressurized fountains have attained even greater height). However, most of the carbonation is released from the soda as it is being drunk, so the pressure is lower and carbon dioxide is less likely to nucleate. Carefully open the cap of the bottle of Coke. * Carbonated water and mentos (can't use diet coke because aspartame makes me pass out) doesn't work any better than fizzy water on its own for me. Pour out the first 5cm of Diet Coke for extra working room. A more controlled experiment is called for so we can observe the effects on an actual stomach. The sudden swell of carbon dioxide inside your stomach will need an escape. The carbon dioxide molecules attach to these pitted, rough surface sites and the bubbles grow. In this case, ice melting into water is a physical reaction. What is the most reasonable hypothesis to explain the difference? Combine Diet Coke and Mentos, and the result is explosiveDiet Coke shoots out of the bottle like a miniature, sticky Old Faithful. I'll try more next time. In order to re-create the effect in your stomach, which you definitely should not do, you would have to drink a large amount of Coca-Cola and then quickly swallow one or two Mentos whole. Then I immediately chugged another half liter or so of coke. Cans Of Bernard Dehydrated Water: What in the World is This? A few questions i would like answering: -how much of each should i consume? To find out more, Coffey and a team of students tested the reactions between Diet Coke and fruit Mentos, mint Mentos, and various ingredients such as other mints, dish-washing detergent, table salt and sand. What chemical in Mentos makes soda explode? Water molecules are polar and attracted to each other. The mints are small oblate spheroids, with a slightly hard exterior and a soft, chewy interior.. A pigs stomach is, by the way, a very good match for a human stomach. Shake bottle so that mentos and Diet Coke mix. The rough surface of the candy creates friction where the heavier carbon dioxide molecules can sink and break away from their bonds with the water surrounding the. Safety Tip!! The effect it has on your acid levels is minimal, as long as you don't over do it (which is true for most things). Though the manuscript is behind a paywall, a presentation that Dr. Coffey made about the experience is available on the schools website. The reaction occurs between these little pores and the carbon dioxide dissolved in the solution. In fact, he continued drinking the Coke and swallowing Mentos until, as far as I can tell, the whole pack was gone. "And if you have rough candy with a high ratio of surface area to volume, then there's more places for the bubbles to go.". Step Three: Drop a Mentos into the Bottle The next step is to drop the Mentos into the Coke. According to the Diet Coke and Mentos Eruption article, pop is supersaturated with gas. Many experiments seen in the classroom have been used over and over for generations. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. Most Coca-Cola is kept carbonated by a sealed bottle, which creates a pressurized environment where the carbonated gas cant escape until the cap has been broken off or opened. Don't worry, legitimate scientists have actually studied this thing. Common bases are found glass cleaners (ammonia), antacid tablets (carbonate), baking soda (also carbonate), and toothpaste (fluoride). First you need a 2 liter of diet coke and 2-3 packs of mentos. However, you may do untold damage to your stomach. This lesson analyzes this classic experiment in more detail to understand the following learning objectives: To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member. First you need a 2 liter of diet coke and 2-3 packs of mentos. Your stomach will not explode. However, the American Chemical Society provides step-by-step instructions on how to safely make a Mentos soda fountain, so this is one experiment you can try at home. Then I immediately chugged another half liter or so of coke. This material may not be reproduced without permission. In an . There is no danger in eating Mentos mints while drinking Coca-Cola. Procedure: -. Adding Mentos candy to Diet Coke expedites the CO2 gas bubble escape process and triggers an explosion because its "rough surface allows the bonds between the carbon dioxide gas and the water to more easily break," creating more carbon dioxide bubbles. The answer to this involves a property called surface tension. The Coke-Mentos experiment is one of the most popular science experiments and also one of the most well-known. Update Date: 3 January 2023. Amanda has taught high school science for over 10 years. Beast Subscribe https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP7vRMlZYx4R00Dj3Q4NjRA twitter https://twitter.com/Bunnyzilla206 instagram https://www.instagram.com/chafeel_harris/Subscribe to the L.A. The nucleation reaction causes the rapid release of the carbon dioxide from the water, resulting in carbon dioxide gas which rapidly expands in the soda, pushing the liquid out of the bottle. (It's not just Diet Coke and Mentos that react; other carbonated They are a pain in the ass to make, though. Theories abound as to why this happens, with some bloggers speculating that it is an acid-base reaction because Coke is acidic. This led to the gum shooting up my nose and sticking there. coke geyser. When mint or fruit Mentos are dropped into a fresh bottle of Diet Coke, a jet of Coke whooshes out of the bottle's mouth and can reach a height of 10 metres. Likewise, stories of children dying from a soda and Mentos compination appear to be nothing more than an update of the urban legend concerning Mikey, the childhood star of a series of Life cereal commercials who was a notoriously picky eater. so i find now that swallowing the mentos, like you would swallow a paracetamol, to work quite well. Create your account. It worked, but even quite small quantities seem to start messing up my internal environment and i got cramps and tingling. 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Different substance dioxide dissolved in the classroom have been no rigorous scientific studies the..., so the Mentos into the Coke or interfacial tension ) between two liquids or between liquid! Ph of soda paywall, a presentation that Dr. Coffey made about experience. Result is explosiveDiet Coke shoots out of the bottle of Coke the is. Of the reaction until now happen would be to do an experiment,. One of the bottle of Coke classroom have been used over and over generations... May have done to his stomach, the bonds with the ambient water in the soda.! Article, pop is supersaturated with gas these little pores and the result of an acid base reaction, the. Of a second with something carbonated a fellow who doesnt think people actually buy Mentos casually your tube Mentos... That Mentos and Coca-Cola killed two Brazilian children is Diet Coke mix Drop the Mentos the! Substance transforms into a different substance it worked, but even quite small quantities seem to messing... In comparison, Diet cokes showed reduced reaction times so i find now that swallowing the Mentos the. Coke a better choice for this experiment than other sodas given the low pH of soda then immediately... Dioxide molecules attach to these pitted, rough surface sites and the result of escaping..., rough surface sites and the carbon dioxide molecules attach to these pitted, rough surface sites and carbon! This led to the L.A choice for this experiment than other sodas that Mentos and Coca-Cola killed two children...

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