mentos experiment coke

• 1 roll of Mentos mint (it must be mint)
• A 1.5 or 2 L bottle of Diet Coke (Coca-Cola Light)
• 1 tube, open in one end - This tube must fit all of the Mentos stacked on top of each other, just like in the Mentos roll. And when open in one end, all the Mentos should quickly slide out. In some countries, there are these aspirin tubes that are perfect. Otherwise, make a tube out of paper and tape, slightly wider than the Mentos roll.
• 1 plastic card, such as a playing card or a discount card

Short explanation

Long explanation.

• How is the eruption affected by changing the Mentos mint to other candys?
• How is the eruption affected by changing the Diet coke to other drinks?
• How is the eruption affected by the temperature of the Diet Coke?

Screaming dry ice

Dry ice in a balloon

Special: Dry ice color change

Dry ice smoking soap bubble snake

Dry ice giant crystal ball bubble

Dry ice in water

Rainbow milk

Gummy bear osmosis

Floating ping pong ball

Rotating Earth

Special: Colored fire

Special: Fire bubbles

Water cycle in a jar

Egg drop challenge

Taking the pulse

Orange candle

Glass bottle xylophone

Warped spacetime

Homemade rainbow

Water implosion

Warm and cold plates

Plastic bag kite

Tamed lightning

Yeast and a balloon

Forever boiling bottle

Moon on a pen

Moon in a box

Inexhaustible bottle

Crystal egg geode

Magic ice cut

Leaf pigments chromatography

Heavy smoke

Popsicle stick bridge

Micrometeorites

Special: Fire tornado

Special: Whoosh bottle

Dancing water marbles

Brownian motion

Flying static ring

Water thermometer

String telephone

Special: Dust explosion

Disappearing styrofoam

Special: Burning money

Special: Burning towel

Salt water purifier

Fish dissection

Hovering soap bubble

Homemade sailboat

Water mass meeting

Plastic bag and pencils

Water sucking bottle

Water sucking glass

Mentos and coke

Aristotle's illusion

Spinning spiral snake

Imploding soda can

Carbon dioxide extuingisher

Plastic bag parachute

Dental impression

Impact craters

Rolling static soda can

Static paper ghost

Color changing flower

Upside down glass

Shrinking chip bag

Solar system model

Strawberry DNA

Electric motor

Flashy electric motor

Bouncing soap bubbles

Toilet paper roll maraca

Cloud in a bottle 1

Cloud in a bottle 2

Balloon rocket

Water whistle

Homemade yogurt

Special: Screaming gummy bear

Homemade compass

Trash airplane

Wind-up spinner toy

Tea bag rocket

Balancing soda can

Lung volume test

Fireproof balloon

Baking powder popper

Expanding space

Straw propeller

Wooden cutlery

Levitating match

Human reflexes

Electromagnet

Soil layers

Straw potato

Straw rocket launcher

Traveling flame

Water bowls

Straw duck call

Solar eclipse

Silo of salt

Balloon skewer

Newspaper tower

Microwave light bulb

Heavy paper

Rubber chicken bone

Homemade marble run

Drops on a coin

Cartesian diver

Content of website.

Mentos and Diet Coke Experiment

How to turn a bottle of soda and a roll of mentos into an exploding soda geyser.

Print this Experiment

It’s been called the “vinegar and baking soda” reaction for a new generation. While science teachers have been dropping candies and mints into 2-liter bottles of soda for years to release all of the dissolved carbon dioxide, the Mentos and Diet Coke reaction became world-famous in 2005. Fueled by hundreds of blogs and popular online sharing sites like youtube, this once obscure reaction became an Internet sensation. Once you get past the initial gee-whiz factor, there’s some amazing science behind a carbonated beverage and a chewy mint.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL EXPERIMENT

This full version of this experiment appears in Steve Spangler’s book called Naked Eggs and Flying Potatoes – Unforgettable Experiments That Make Science Fun

Experiment Videos

Here's What You'll Need

A roll or box of mentos chewy mints (stick with the standard mint flavor for now), 2-liter bottle of diet soda (either diet or regular soda will work for this experiment, but diet soda is not sticky when you’re cleaning it up, and it will usually create a bigger blast), sheet of paper to roll into a tube, steve spangler’s geyser tube toy (optional . . . but highly recommended), let's try it.

This activity is probably best done outside in the middle of an abandoned field or on a huge lawn.

Carefully open the bottle of diet soda. Again, the choice of diet over regular soda is purely a preference based on the fact that erupting regular soda becomes a sticky mess to clean up because it contains sugar. Diet soda uses artificial sweeteners instead of sugar, and consequently, it’s not sticky. Later on in the experiment, you’ll be invited to compare the geyser power of diet versus regular soda, but for now we’ll start with a 2-liter bottle of diet soda.

Position the bottle on the ground so that it will not tip over.

Let’s start with seven Mentos for our first attempt. The goal is to drop all seven Mentos into the bottle of soda at the same time (which is trickier than you might think). One method for doing this is to roll a piece of paper into a tube just big enough to hold the loose Mentos. Other methods include using a large plastic test tube to hold the Mentos or using my Geyser Tube toy invention, which was created to solve this very problem. Assuming that you’re using the paper tube method, you’ll want to load the seven Mentos into the tube, cover the bottom of the tube with your finger, and position the tube directly over the mouth of the bottle. When you pull your finger out of the way, all seven Mentos should fall into the bottle at the same time.

Enough waiting . . . this anticipation is killing me. 3-2-1 drop the Mentos!

This final step is very important . . . run away! But don’t forget to look back at the amazing eruption of soda.

If spectators were watching your exploits, someone is bound to yell out, “Do it again!” and that’s exactly what you’re going to do.

How Does It Work

Why do Mentos turn ordinary bottles of diet soda into geysers of fun? The answer is a little more complicated than you might think. Let’s start with the soda . . .

Soda pop is made of sugar or artificial sweetener, flavoring, water, and preservatives. The thing that makes soda bubbly is invisible carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), which is pumped into bottles at the bottling factory using lots of pressure. If you shake a bottle or can of soda, some of the gas comes out of the solution and the bubbles cling to the inside walls of the container (thanks to tiny pits and imperfections on the inside surface of the bottle called nucleation sites ). When you open the container, the bubbles quickly rise to the top pushing the liquid out of the way. In other words, the liquid sprays everywhere.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL MENTOS AND DIET COKE EXPERIMENT

Is there another way for the CO 2 to escape? Try this. Drop an object like a raisin or a piece of uncooked pasta into a glass of soda and notice how bubbles immediately form on the surface of the object. These are CO 2 bubbles leaving the soda and attaching themselves to the object. For example, adding salt to soda causes it to foam up because thousands of little bubbles form on the surface of each grain of salt. This bubbling process is called nucleation , and the places where the bubbles form, whether on the sides of the can, on an object, or around a tiny grain of salt, are the nucleation sites.

Why are Mentos so Special? The reason why Mentos work so well is twofold—tiny pits on the surface of the mint, and the weight of the Mentos itself. Each Mentos mint has thousands of tiny pits all over the surface. These tiny pits act as nucleation sites—perfect places for CO 2 bubbles to form. As soon as the Mentos hit the soda, bubbles form all over the surfaces of the candies and then quickly rise to the surface of the liquid. Couple this with the fact that the Mentos candies are heavy and sink to the bottom of the bottle and you’ve got a double whammy. The gas released by the Mentos literally pushes all of the liquid up and out of the bottle in an incredible soda blast.

Measuring the Height of the Geyser To make any of these tests meaningful, you need to find a way to measure the height of the eruption. A friend or parent with a video camera is a great way to watch and document the results of your experiment, but you’ll also need some specific measurements or data. Try placing the soda bottle next to the wall of a brick building (after getting permission from the building’s owner). Measure the height of the geyser by counting the number of bricks that are wet once the geyser stops. If you want a more specific measurement, use chalk to mark off 1-foot increments on the brick wall before you drop the Mentos into the bottle of soda. Make comparisons, create a chart with your data, and draw some conclusions. Be sure to thank the building’s owner and to hose off the wall of the building when you are finished!

Measuring the Volume of the Geyser If you want to examine the volume of the geyser instead of the height, make note of the volume of a full bottle of soda before you drop the Mentos into it. (Okay, it’s a trick question because a 2-liter bottle of soda holds . . . 2 liters!) Once the geyser stops, pour out the remaining contents of the bottle and measure how much liquid is left. You could use a beaker or a graduated cylinder to measure the remaining liquid in milliliters. Remember that 1 liter is equivalent to 1000 mL. Subtract the remaining amount of liquid from the original volume of the bottle to calculate the volume of the geyser. Then make comparisons, create a chart with your data, and draw some conclusions.

How Many Mentos Work Best? This has to be the number one question everyone asks about this experiment. What is the best number of Mentos to use to make the highest-shooting geyser? This is a great topic for a science project—you’ll need lots of soda and Mentos, and a few friends to help record all of the data.

Be sure that the soda bottles are all the same brand and type. It’s also important that all of the test bottles are stored in the same place so that the liquid in each bottle is the same temperature.

Line up a row of ten 2-liter bottles against a brick wall (see “Measuring the Height of the Geyser”). Each bottle will receive a different number of Mentos. Drop one Mentos into the first bottle and record the height by counting the wet bricks (or set up your own scale behind each soda bottle). Drop two Mentos into the second bottle, and so on until you’ve completed all ten bottles.

Of course, this could go on forever, but you’ll start to see a trend in your data that shows the maximum height of the geyser for a certain number of Mentos. Many soda geyser-ologists believe that seven Mentos produce the highest-shooting geyser. Using any more than seven Mentos is just a waste, according to these soda-soaked science enthusiasts. What do your results reveal about the effect of the number of Mentos on the height of the geyser?

The Brand Test You guessed it . . . it’s time to put your favorite soda to the test. Does one brand produce higher-flying geysers? How does generic soda stack up against the big name brands? If you’re doing a science fair project, your initial question might be, “What is the effect of the brand of soda on the height of the geyser?”

Use your data from the previous test to determine the standard number of Mentos to use for this test. The only variable you’ll change in this test is the brand of soda while everything else remains the same (the number of Mentos and the amount of soda). Again, make sure all of the soda is at the same temperature because temperature plays an important role in the reaction. The brand of soda is the only thing that changes (the variable). Just think . . . your results could help determine the next Mentos Geyser craze!

The Temperature Test What is the effect of temperature on the height of the geyser? Does warm soda shoot up higher than cold soda? The key is to keep every launch fair and to make sure the only variable is the temperature of the soda. You’ll need a thermometer to record the temperature of the soda just before you launch it.

To enforce the fairness factor, you must stick with one brand of soda for the entire test. Let’s use Diet Coke in this example. You’ll want to purchase three bottles of Diet Coke and two rolls of Mentos. You’re going to set up three tests—warm soda, room temperature soda, and cold soda. Place one bottle of Diet Coke in the refrigerator and let it sit overnight. Place the second bottle in a place where it can reach room temperature overnight. There are two safe ways to warm the other bottle of soda. The simplest method is to let the unopened bottle sit in the sun for several hours. You can also place the bottle of unopened soda in a bucket of warm water. Never use a stove or microwave to heat a bottle of soda.

It’s time to return to your launching site. Check to make sure your measuring scale is in place (counting bricks or using an alternative scale against the wall). Let’s start with the bottle of cold Diet Coke. Open the bottle and dip the thermometer down into the soda. Record the temperature. Load seven Mentos into your paper roll and drop them into the soda. Immediately record the data for the cold soda test. Repeat the same procedure for the bottle of soda at room temperature and for the bottle of warm soda. It’s important to use the same number of Mentos for each test and to drop them the same way.

No matter which brand of soda you tested, the warm bottle probably produced the highest-shooting geyser. Warm soda tends to fizz much more than cold soda. Why? The answer lies in the solubility of gases in liquids. The warmer the liquid, the less gas can be dissolved in that liquid. The colder the liquid, the more gas can be dissolved in that liquid. This is because as the liquid is heated, the gas within that liquid is also heated, causing the gas molecules to move faster and faster. As the molecules move faster, they diffuse out of the liquid, leaving less gas dissolved in that liquid. In colder liquids the gas molecules move very slowly, causing them to diffuse out of the solution much more slowly. More gas tends to stay in solution when the liquid is cold. This is why at the bottling plant CO 2 is pumped into the cans or bottles when the fluid is just above freezing—around 35 degrees Fahrenheit. This low temperature allows the maximum amount of CO 2 to dissolve in the soda, keeping the carbonation levels as high as possible.

Take It Further

Simply dropping Mentos into a bottle of soda to make a geyser isn’t really science—it’s just a fun trick to do in the backyard. The real learning takes place when you start to change one variable at a time to see how it affects the performance of the geyser.

PURCHASE Steve Spangler Original Mentos Geyser Tube on Amazon

The Big Blast After completing all of these tests, you’ve become somewhat of a Mentos Geyser expert who has the research to support the answer to the question, “How can you make the highest-shooting Mentos geyser?” Each test isolated an independent variable, and combining all of the information you discovered into one launch is a great way to wrap up your science fair project. For example, based on your individual test results, you might have arrived at this recipe for the best Mentos Geyser:

• Use a bottle of Diet Coke
• Make sure the soda is at least 85 degree Fahrenheit
• Drop seven Mentos into the soda all at the same time

By using the scientific method and some critical thinking skills, you’ve successfully turned a great gee-whiz science trick into a research-based science fair project.

Science Fair Connection

You might ask yourself, “Can I use the Mentos Geyser for my science fair project?” The answer is YES, but you’ll need to learn how to turn a cool science activity into a real science experiment. The secret is to turn your attention away from the spraying soda and concentrate on setting up an experiment where you isolate a single variable and observe the results.

To get the best results in a science experiment, you need to standardize the test conditions as much as possible. The biggest challenge in the Mentos Geyser experiment is finding a consistent way to drop the Mentos into the soda every time. The original reason I invented the Geyser Tube toy was to find a way to standardize the actual drop of the Mentos. If you’re not using the Geyser Tube, make sure to come up with your own method for dropping the Mentos into the soda the same way each time.

Mentos Geyser History—From Obscurity to Instant Celebrity

As strange as it might sound, the Mentos Geyser never actually started out using Mentos chewy mints. This science demonstration was popular among chemistry teachers back in the 1980s using a roll of Wintergreen LifeSavers and a pipe cleaner. Teachers threaded the roll of Wintergreen LifeSavers onto a pipe cleaner as an easy way to drop all of the LifeSavers into the soda at the same time. Within seconds of dropping the candies into the soda, a huge geyser would erupt from the bottle.

However, by the end of the 1990s, the manufacturer of Wintergreen LifeSavers increased the size of the mints (no one was ever certain why this happened), making the diameter of the candy too large to fit into the mouth of the soda bottle. Science teachers started experimenting (as they like to do) with other candies and mints that would have the same effect when dropped into a bottle of soda. As luck would have it, the solution to the problem was within arm’s reach of the Wintergreen LifeSavers in the candy aisle—it was Mentos chewy mints.

Because Mentos mints didn’t have holes in the middle like LifeSavers, getting them into the bottle was tricky. Everyone found their own method of quickly dropping the Mentos into the soda. Some people fashioned a tube out of paper while others used a piece of plastic tubing to load the Mentos. At the time, my solution was to load the Mentos candies into something called a Baby Soda Bottle—a test tube–like container that held an entire roll of Mentos perfectly. Oddly enough, this container was actually a “pre-form” or 2-liter soda bottle before it was blown up into a big bottle. That’s why it’s called a Baby Soda Bottle. However, I must admit that even with the Baby Soda Bottle method, the results were not very consistent and it was challenging to get away from the bottle before it exploded. So, I solicited help from our creative team at Steve Spangler Science to come up with a Geyser Tube— a better, more consistent way to drop the Mentos into the bottle. Better yet, if we could trigger the drop of the Mentos from a distance, we wouldn’t get as wet.

The next few months were spent building trigger devices ranging from plastic tubes with sliding doors to magnets that held metal stoppers in place to an elaborate battery-operated switch that was triggered by a motion detector. We even played with ways of using the Geyser Tube to trigger multiple soda geysers in a method similar to a Rube Goldberg machine. But the bottom line was that we needed to find a way to standardize the drop of the Mentos.

As they say, the simplest design usually turns out to be the best and most elegant solution to the problem. The winning Geyser Tube design was a clear plastic tube with a special fitting that twisted onto any soda bottle. The trigger pin at the bottom of the tube prevented the Mentos from falling into the bottle until you pulled the string attached to the pin. The moment the pin was pulled, a slider ring resting above the pin fell into place and covered the holes where the trigger pin once was, and the Mentos dropped into the soda. But there was one added bonus . . . the restricted hole at the top of the plastic tube helped to build up more pressure in the bottle and launched the soda 30 feet into the air. Fortunately, the maker of Mentos (Perfetti Van Melle) also liked the design, and we launched the Mentos Geyser Tube toy at the New York Toy Fair in February 2007. The Geyser Tube toy is currently available in toy stores and mass-market retailers throughout the country thanks to our distributor, Be Amazing Toys!

The Mentos Geyser became one of my featured demonstrations both on television and during my live stage presentations. While I had performed variations of the Mentos Geyser experiment on television many times from 2001 to 2004, my performance of the demo in September of 2005 in the backyard of NBC affiliate KUSA-TV in Denver proved to be the tipping point as the demo went from relative obscurity to Internet sensation.

My cohost for the KUSA-TV science segment was the lovely Kim Christiansen. During the commercial break, I told Kim what was going to happen and reminded her to pull her hand out of the way of the erupting geyser and to run backward. Unfortunately, Kim got so caught up in the fun that she forgot to do both . . . and got soaked in Diet Coke on live television. To add insult to injury, she did it two more times, each time getting covered in more soda, until her once pink dress was more Coke-colored than pink.

KUSA-TV News posted that original video on their website along with my blog post titled, “News Anchor Gets Soaked!” Within a few weeks, links to the video and my blog entry numbered in the thousands. I also posted the video on a new online video sharing site called YouTube (YouTube was only 7 months old at the time), and as they say, the rest is history. Within the next 12 months, over 800 Mentos Geyser-related videos were posted on YouTube, making the demo one of the most popular pop-culture science experiments in recent history.

Million Dollar Question

You know the Mentos Geyser is a popular experiment when a producer from ABC’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire calls for help writing a question. Here’s the question we came up with: In an experiment popularized online, what candy creates an explosive geyser when dropped into a 2-liter Diet Coke bottle?

A) Skittles B) Mint Mentos C) Atomic Fireballs D) Lemon Heads

The question was asked on a special College Week episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. The participant got it right for $8,000, saying: “I saw it on TV and I bought Mentos and a 2-liter bottle of Diet Coke . . . so I’m going to go with Mentos. That’s my final answer.” The contestant ended up doing really well, going all the way to the $250,000 question, but he walked away with $125,000.

Related Experiments

Mentos Super Soda Dispenser 3000

Steve’s son, Jack Spangler, decided that it is just too hard to pour soft drinks by turning a 2-liter bottle of soda upside down. The […]

Soda Can Shake-Up

In some circles, it’s considered bad manners to shake a can of soda just before giving it to a thirsty friend. The unexpected w-h-o-o-s-h of soda […]

Sinking Soda Surprise

I remember as a kid diving to the bottom of the swimming pool to retrieve unopened cans of soda pop. Our parents tossed the unopened […]

How to Make a Diet Coke and Mentos Rocket

Last Updated: May 18, 2024 Approved

This article was co-authored by Jessie Antonellis-John . Jessie Antonellis-John is a Math and Science Instructor who teaches at Southwestern Oregon Community College. With over 10 years of experience, she specializes in curriculum development. Jessie earned her PhD in Teaching & Teacher Education from the University of Arizona, her Master of Education from Western Governors University, and her BS in Astrophysics from Mount Holyoke College. She’s also co-authored several peer-reviewed journal articles in professional publications. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article has 11 testimonials from our readers, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 572,196 times.

Dropping Mentos into a bottle of diet soda causes a physical reaction: as they fall through the soda, the Mentos candies break the bonds between the carbon dioxide and water (the combination that makes soda fizzy), releasing the carbon dioxide gas up and out of the bottle. [1] X Research source By closing the lid or lightly pushing a cork into the neck after adding Mentos to a bottle of diet soda, you trap that gas, creating pressure. When the bottle falls hard against the ground, the cap flies off and the pressure releases, launching the bottle up into the air.

Making the Mentos Cartridge

• You can use any type of Coke for this project (Diet, Original, Zero, etc.).
• Be careful not to press too hard, as you don't want any Mentos falling out of the cartridge!

Jessie Antonellis-John

Use old film canisters for the Diet Coke and Mentos explosion. The smaller opening builds up more pressure for a bigger blast off! It's an awesome way to show Newton's third law in action, as the built-up gas pressure can rocket the canister high.

Loading and Launching the Rocket

• If it seems like the Mentos will touch the Diet Coke, you can either dump a small amount of Diet Coke out before screwing the cap on; redo your Mentos cartridge to contain fewer Mentos; or you can try your luck and screw the cap on as quickly as possible.
• A popular and effective one is to throw the bottle high up into the air and let it fall on to the ground (preferably hard ground, like cement). This is the best method if you're worried about getting hit by the rocket, as you can throw it far away from you and even run in the opposite direction.
• Another method is to throw the bottle at a side angle so that when it hits the ground, the ground knocks off its cap.
• Yet another method is to throw the bottle at more of a 90-degree angle, cap-first, on to the ground.
• Side-angle launches generally seem to cause the bottle to bounce low and skid along the ground.
• Vertical launches (in which you throw the bottle straight up into the air and let it fall to the ground) tend to give the rocket more height as it shoots upward.
• If the bottle is still full of Diet Coke and Mentos but it's stopped moving on the ground, you can try to launch it again to see if it has any more flight left in it.

Having Fun With It

• As with the original rocket recipe, stick the Mentos cartridge to the lid of the milk jug, fasten the lid, shake the container to release the Mentos into the Diet Coke, then throw the jug high up into the air and let it hit the pavement hard.

Preparing Your Materials

• Warm soda causes better explosions, so avoid using cold/refrigerated soda. For best results, purchase room-temperature soda and then let it sit outside in the sun or in a pot full of hot (not boiling) water for a few hours before using it.

• As the rocket is more of a fast-acting affair, you might want to go for Mint Mentos.
• If you have the time and money to do so, why not try one bottle with Mint Mentos and one with Fruit Mentos, and then compare the results?

• If there's a field or empty lot nearby, go there to make your rocket. You don't want to risk doing damage to anyone's car or home, as it could cost you or your parents a lot of money to repair.

Expert Q&A

• Avoid the temptation to chop the Mentos up. Adding chopped Mentos to Diet Coke will still cause an explosion, but it won't be as big or intense as the one caused by regular, whole Mentos. This is because the explosion depends on the wide surface area and density of the Mentos; cutting them up diminishes both their surface area and density. [2] X Research source Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1
• Rock salt and regular kitchen sugar will also react with Diet Coke to cause an explosion, but it will be much less effective than the one caused by Mentos. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1
• Adding Mentos to regular Coke or other regular sodas will also cause an explosion, but diet soda seems to be the best. Scientists believe that this is because the aspartame contained in diet soda makes bubble formation easier. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1

• Keep away from the rocket. It may be moving quite fast, and could cause some real damage. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
• Wear eye protection. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
• Do this in a parking lot or somewhere without houses, cars etc. in the way; windows are expensive to repair. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 3

Things You'll Need

• Two-liter bottle of Diet Coke (or other diet soda)
• Safety goggles
• Masking tape

You Might Also Like

Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about science, check out our in-depth interview with Jessie Antonellis-John .

• ↑ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bring-science-home-coke-mentos/

About This Article

To make a Diet Coke and Mentos rocket, start by sandwiching 5 stacked Mentos between 2 4-inch strips of masking tape. Then, wrap a 3-inch strip of tape sticky-side out around your finger to make a piece of double-sided tape. Stick one side to the top of your Mentos stack and the other to the inside of a diet soda cap. You can use any 2-liter diet soda, as long as it contains aspartame. Once you’ve attached your Mentos to the soda cap, wrap another strip of tape around the bottom to make sure the Mentos don’t fall apart. After you’ve finished taping the Mentos, head to a wide-open space like a field or empty parking lot, since the bottle will probably bounce around a lot and make a mess. Twist the cap onto the bottle, give it a big shake, and throw the bottle into the air. For more tips, including how to make a bigger Coke and Mentos explosion, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Ingrid Thomason

Nov 10, 2017

Did this article help you?

Omphemetse Reatlegile

Aug 7, 2017

Kaden Lawler

Sep 12, 2018

Oct 30, 2017

Jackson Dickman

Oct 28, 2016

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

Get all the best how-tos!

Sign up for wikiHow's weekly email newsletter

June 14, 2012

Spurting Science: Erupting Diet Coke with Mentos

A carbonated challenge from Science Buddies

By Science Buddies

On supporting science journalism

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. It also means changing some factors may cause a larger or smaller physical reaction to take place. Background A carbonated beverage is packed full of dissolved carbon dioxide gas, which forms bonds with water. While the soda is in the bottle, the gas is kept in solution by the bottle's pressurized conditions. When you pour some soda into a glass, some gas escapes and forms foam, but most stays trapped by the surface tension of the water. But all those gas bubbles want to escape, making it no wonder that soda makes you burp! To create bubbles, the carbon dioxide needs to interact with itself, which means that the carbon dioxide's bonds with water in the Diet Coke must be broken. A Mentos candy can help with this. Although the candy may look smooth, if you looked at it under a microscope you'd see tiny bumps coating its entire surface. This rough surface allows the bonds between the carbon dioxide gas and the water to more easily break, helping to create carbon dioxide bubbles and cause the classic eruption. The speed at which the Mentos falls through the soda can affect how large the eruption is, and this can be tested by comparing whole with crushed Mentos, the latter of which are less dense. Materials •    Wax paper •    Cutting board •    Knife •    One roll of Mentos (at least eight candies) •    Two index cards •    Tape •    Two two-liter bottles of Diet Coke •    An outdoor area at least two meters from buildings •    Eye protection (safety goggles or glasses) •    Video camera with either a tripod or a helper to take the images (optional) Preparation •    Place a piece of wax paper on top of the cutting board. On the wax paper, carefully use a knife to crush and cut four Mentos candies into many small pieces. An adult may help you cut up the candies. What does the inside of the candies look like? •    Make a Mentos cartridge to hold the candies for you before you drop them into the Diet Coke bottle by rolling an index card into a tube, slightly larger than the diameter of a Mentos candy. Tape the tube together on the side. •    Be sure to wear eye protection when putting the candies into the cola! •    Wear clothes that you would not mind if they get splashed with a little soda pop—this activity can get a little messy! Procedure •    Place a Diet Coke bottle in an outdoor area, at least two meters from any buildings or anything hanging above the area, such as eaves, overhangs or wires. Make sure that the bottle is on a level surface and stably standing straight. Why do you think all of this is important? •    If you want to videotape the reactions, set up the video camera so that it has in its viewfinder the bottle and a height equivalent to at least the first story of a building. •    Carefully remove the cap from the bottle and place the flat index card on top, covering the hole. •    Add four whole Mentos candies to your cartridge, put on your eye protection, and start the video camera. •    Place your full cartridge on top of the flat index card. Line up where the opening of the bottle is with the opening of your cartridge. Quickly pull out the flat index card, releasing the Mentos candies into the bottle. Then step back without tipping the bottle over or disturbing the reaction. •    How quickly did the reaction start to happen, and how quickly did it stop? About how high did the eruption go? How much cola is left in the bottle? •    When the bottle stops spouting, stop recording. •    Remove the spent cola bottle and place a new full bottle in the same position, again making sure that it is level and stably standing straight. As with the first bottle, remove the cap and place the flat index card on top, covering the hole. •    Add your four crushed Mentos candies to your cartridge, pouring them in from the wax paper. Put on your eye protection and start the video camera. •    Like you did before, place your full cartridge on top of the flat index card, then line up where the opening of the bottle is with the opening of your cartridge. Quickly pull out the flat index card, releasing the crushed Mentos into the bottle, then step back without tipping the bottle over or disturbing the reaction. •    How quickly did the reaction start to happen, and how quickly did it stop? How high did the eruption appear to go? How much liquid is left in the bottle? Is it more or less than the amount that was left when you used whole candies? •    When the bottle stops spouting, stop recording. If you videotaped the reactions, you can watch your videos now. What do you notice from the videos? •    Which reaction went higher, the whole or the crushed Mentos? •    Extra : Find an exterior wall of a building with no windows and set a Diet Coke bottle at the base of the wall. Use a tape measure and blue painter's tape to mark off the height from the top of the bottle in meters. Then repeat this activity three times, with the bottle in front of the tape-marked wall, video taping it each time. When you review the recordings, use slow motion and pause the recording when the spout is at its maximum height. Using the tape marks in the background, estimate the height of the spout. Calculate the average height of the fountains for the whole and for the crushed Mentos . What is the difference in height of the eruptions? •    Extra: What other factors affect the size of the Mentos and Diet Coke eruption? You can try testing different kinds of carbonated beverages, different kinds of candies with different shapes and textures or using other things to start the reaction, like rock salt, pennies or dice. Which beverages, candies or other things cause the largest and smallest fountains? Why do you think this is? •    Extra: Do this activity again but instead of testing whole Mentos versus crushed, compare warm versus cold Diet Coke. Does temperature affect the eruption height? Observations and results Was the eruption higher when whole Mentos candies were used compared with crushed candies? Was less Diet Coke left in the bottle after the reaction with the whole candies compared with the crushed ones? In the Diet Coke bottle the Mentos candy provides a rough surface that allows the bonds between the carbon dioxide gas and water to break more easily, helping to create carbon dioxide bubbles. 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. Because Mentos candies are rather dense, they sink rapidly through the liquid, causing a fast, large eruption. The crushed Mentos candies, however, are not as dense as the whole ones, which causes them to sink more slowly, creating a relatively small cola fountain, which should also leave more liquid in the bottle than the larger eruption with whole Mentos candies did. Cleanup Hose off any part of a building that was splashed with Diet Coke. If you try this project with regular Coke, the eruption should still happen but its sugary content may make cleaning more difficult. More to explore Physicists Explain Mentos–Soda Spray from Scientific American Science of Mentos–Diet Coke explosions explained from New Scientist The Science of Coke and Mentos from EepyBird.com Why do Mentos mints foam when you drop them into soda pop? from General Chemistry Online Coke® & Mentos®—Nucleation Goes Nuclear! from Science Buddies

This activity brought to you in partnership with Science Buddies

• free-science-experiments
• mentos-and-cola

An Exploding Fountain - (The Mentos & Cola Thing)

You may get excited about science!

One of the most fun (and messy) experiments ever! Just be sure to do it in plenty of space and find out the science behind it too.

WARNING! - This Experiment MUST be done Outside!

What Do I Need?

• A 2 litre bottle of fizzy drink (any will do!)
• Mentos (this brand really does do the job best)
• A cardboard toilet toll
• Pen, Scissors & Sellotape
• An outdoor space!

How Do I Do It?

STEP1  -  First we need to make a mentos dropper!

• Cut the toilet roll (or other card) so it can be rolled round into a tube that’s just a bit wider than a mento!
• Sellotape the tube together
• Push a pen/ pencil through the tube – that’s the firing pin
• Fill the tube from the top with mentos (6 is perfect!)

STEP2 - Take your dropper (loaded with mentos) and lemonade to an outdoor space where you can make a mess

STEP3  -  Make sure you’re OUTSIDE, have a final check...attach the tube to the bottle and then pull the pen back – This will explode into a messy fountain so quickly get well back!

What’s Going On?

The bubbling fountain of lemonade that’s (hopefully not) just drenched you is one of the world’s most fun experiments. It’s also one that’s badly explained (even by scientists!).

The lemonade bottle is packed full of carbon dioxide, that’s why it starts fizzing as soon as you take the lid off! The bubbles form on tiny scratches and scuffs on the inside of the container known as nucleation points. 

The lemonade will fizz away for a while and then, once all the carbon dioxide has come out, go flat. The mentos just speed this up – instead of the bubbles coming out over a few hours it all comes out in a few seconds! The surface of a mento is the perfect place for bubbles to form – which is why they are the ‘magic’ ingredient!

More Fun Please! - Experiment Like A Real Scientist!

How to make the biggest mess??? Try a couple of different types of mint and see which makes the highest fountain? Test several different fizzing drinks, cola, sugar-free, full sugar etc and find the perfect mess making combination!

Want A FREE Science Experiment Book?

If you like fun science experiments then you'll love this FREE Science experiment book....

It's packed full of awesome experiments you can do at home with "stuff" you've already got. 

Your FREE Science experiment book is:

• 5 Star Reviewed
• Dragons' Den Approved
• Yours completely FREE. 

Click Here to download your FREE copy now!

Kids Party Coming Up?

If you like fun science experiments then you’ll love the Dragons’ Den winning Sublime Science Party.  Check price & availability in your area and grab your FREE Kids Party Survival Guide right now!

Home  -  About  -  Privacy Policy  -  Terms & Conditions  - Facebook - Instagram - LinkedIn - Twitter - Sitemap - Blog - Contact

Copyright 2008-2023 - Sublime Science - All Rights Reserved - Registered in England and Wales, Company Number 6680269. Registered Address: The Sublime Science Lab (Unit4) Fernleigh Business Park, Blaby Rd, Enderby, Leicester LE19 4AQ - Call: 0116 380 0750

You Just Couldn't Resist!

There's some serious science behind why you just clicked! 

If you'd like more awesome science experiments then enter your email address below and grab your FREE science experiment book!

You'll get your FREE copy of 'Don't Eat Your Slime', weekly 'Top Secret Science Experiment Printables' and occasional awesome offers. Happy experimenting!

(enter your email address below to get your FREE science experiment book)

YES, I Want My FREE Experiment Book!

( You'll get your FREE copy of 'Don't Eat Your Slime', weekly 'Top Secret Science Experiment Printables' and occasional awesome offers. Happy experimenting!  

Fizzing Chemistry Experiment: Coke and Mentos Experiment

Categories Science Experiments

The Diet Coke and Mentos experiment is exciting to do for kids of all ages. We created this Coke and Mentos experiment lesson plan as part of our chemistry experiments for kids because it’s literally exploding with fizzing soda reactions and chemical changes!

But how exactly does the diet coke and mentos experiment work?

It all starts with two seemingly ordinary items—a bottle of Diet Coke and a roll of Mentos candies. When combined in a specific way, the coke and Mentos create a dramatic fizzing chemistry experiment that sends soda shooting into the air like a geyser.

Imagine witnessing a miniature volcanic eruption right in your own backyard!

The carbon dioxide in the Diet Coke and the bumpy surface of the Mentos candy are the key ingredients for this visually stunning display during the coke and mentos experiment lesson plan.

Table of Contents

Diet coke and mentos experiment lesson plan: the magic of the diet coke and mentos geyser.

The diet coke and mentos experiment lesson plan is a simple yet astonishing experiment that demonstrates the power of a chemical reaction in action.

With just a bottle of Diet Coke and a roll of Mentos candies, you can create a captivating eruption that surpasses expectations.

When the Mentos come into contact with the soda, a rapid release of carbon dioxide gas occurs, resulting in an explosive fizz.

The pressure builds up so quickly that the liquid is forcefully expelled in a powerful stream, creating the geyser-like effect.

How Does the Diet Coke and Mentos Experiment work?

The coke and mentos experiment lesson plan is a fascinating display of a chemical reaction in action and also that of a physical change causing a reaction between two ingredients.

When Mentos candies are dropped into a bottle of Diet Coke, it causes a rapid release of carbon dioxide gas, resulting in a dramatic eruption. But how does this reaction occur?

The reaction is primarily caused by two factors: the rough surface of the Mentos candy and the carbon dioxide gas dissolved in the Diet Coke.

The surface of the Mentos candy contains tiny pits and crevices, which provide numerous nucleation sites for gas bubbles to form.

When the candies are dropped into the soda, these nucleation sites allow the carbon dioxide gas to rapidly escape from the liquid.

The carbon dioxide gas in the Diet Coke is dissolved under pressure. When the bottle is opened or the candies are added, the pressure inside the bottle decreases.

This change in pressure triggers the gas bubbles to form on the rough surface of the Mentos. The gas bubbles rapidly expand, creating a fizzing effect.

As more and more gas bubbles are produced, the pressure builds up inside the bottle, eventually leading to an explosive release of the gas.

The liquid is forced out of the bottle in a powerful stream, creating the geyser-like eruption.

Is Fizzing a Chemical Change?

In fact, the reaction between the Mentos and Diet Coke is primarily a physical reaction rather than a chemical one.

The candy’s rough surface provides the necessary conditions for the gas bubbles to form quickly.

The process happens so rapidly that it creates a visually captivating and exciting reaction.

Supplies for a Diet Coke and Mentos Geyser

Here is what you’ll need to create this fizzing chemical reaction and complete your coke and mentos experiment lesson plan. These links are to Amazon or other affiliates of STEAMsational.

• STEM worksheet (click the image below to download)

Coke and Mentos Experiment Kits

Here are some alternative options for doing this fizzing chemical experiment and coke and mentos experiment lesson plan with a group of students.

• Classroom Geyser Pack (for 10 students)
• Steve Spangler’s Extreme Geyser Tube
• Observable Forces Classroom Bundle

If you love science and STEM but don’t like hunting for supplies, we love the Mel Science kits. They have options for elementary and middle school, and each kit comes with all the supplies needed for each experiment!

Diet Coke and Mentos Experiment STEM Extensions

Here are some STEM extensions you can add on to your coke and mentos experiment lesson plan.

Fizzing chemistry experiment variable exploration

Encourage students to experiment with different factors and observe their effects on the geyser. They can investigate elements such as the brand of soda, the size or shape of the candies, the temperature of the candies, or their surface roughness.

By systematically testing these variables, students can collect data and analyze how they impact the reaction. This exploration promotes critical thinking, hypothesis development, and data analysis skills.

Coke and mentos experiment lesson plan data analysis

Extend the experiment by incorporating data analysis and charting. Students can measure and record information from multiple trials, such as the height or duration of the geyser.

By organizing and graphing the data, students can visually explore the relationships between different variables, enhancing their mathematical skills and solidifying their understanding of scientific principles.

Geyser design engineering challenges

Introduce design engineering challenges related to the Mentos and Diet Coke Geyser.

Assign students the task of designing and building a device to control the force or direction of the geyser or develop a mechanism to initiate or stop the reaction.

This extension allows students to apply their knowledge of engineering, physics, and problem-solving to create innovative solutions.

Coke and mentos experiment science fair project

Encourage students to develop a science fair project based on the coke and mentos experiment lesson plan. They can formulate their own research question, design experiments to test their hypotheses, collect data, and present their findings.

Soda and mentos science project hypothesis: When Mentos candies are added to different brands of soda, the brand with the highest carbonation levels will result in the most significant eruption.

Based on prior knowledge and observations, the hypothesis predicts that the level of carbonation in soda will affect the intensity of the reaction when combined with Mentos candies.

Soda with higher levels of carbon dioxide gas dissolved in it will have a greater potential for gas release when the nucleation sites on the Mentos’ rough surface trigger bubble formation.

The with the highest carbonation levels is expected to produce the most substantial eruption when combined with Mentos.

More Chemistry Experiments to Try

Here are some other fun chemistry experiments that kids will love after you complete your coke and mentos experiment lesson plan.

• 15 Explosive and Awesome Chemistry Sets For Kids
• What is a Chemical Reaction for Kids?
• Chemical Reactions! How to Turn a Penny Green Experiment
• The Effect of Temperature on Reaction Time

How to Do the Mentos and Diet Coke Experiment Step by Step

The coke and mentos experiment lesson plan offers a tangible way for students to explore chemical reactions. Through firsthand observations, students can understand concepts such as nucleation sites, gas solubility, and the relationship between surface area and reaction rate.

This experiment also fosters critical thinking, logical reasoning, and problem-solving skills. Get the complete coke and mentos experiment lesson plan below!

Get the printable step-by-step directions for the coke and mentos experiment lesson plan below!

And don’t forget to use our free mentos and coke experiment worksheet that you can download by clicking the image below to complete your fizzing chemistry experiment!

Print a lot of papers? Get $10 your HP Instant Ink order when you use this link.

Diet Coke and Mentos Geiser

Looking for a simple and exciting science experiment? Look no further than the Diet Coke and Mentos experiment lesson plan! With just two ingredients and one worksheet, all you have left to do is teach the lesson!

• Paper towels
• Measuring tape
• Science notebook

Instructions

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Want to save this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Share this project with a friend!

The Secrets of the Coke and Mentos Fountain

It’s one of the most popular science demonstrations: Pop a handful of Mentos candies into a bottle of Coke, and a fountain of bubbles rapidly spurts from the open bottle, often over a metre into the air. Originally the explanation for the effect was thought to be quite simple. However, scientists are finding that there’s more to this spectacular demonstration than meets the eye.

The basic science of the Coke and Mentos reaction is fairly straightforward. In fact, it’s not really a reaction at all – or at least it’s a physical reaction rather than a chemical one. Carbonated drinks get their fizz from dissolved carbon dioxide, which is pumped into the bottles at high pressure to make it dissolve. Your average two litre bottle of Coke will contain about fifteen grams of dissolved carbon dioxide.

When you open a bottle of a carbonated drink, you release the pressure. As the carbon dioxide is less soluble at lower pressures, it starts to leave the drink in the form of small bubbles. When you add Mentos to the bottle, you’re drastically speeding up this process. Though the surface of a Mentos candy may look smooth, at a microscopic level it’s full of pits, peaks, and craters, like a miniature version of the surface of the moon. These pits, peaks, and craters are referred to as nucleation sites. They provide a surface for the carbon dioxide bubbles to form on, and allow them to form much more rapidly.

That paltry fifteen grams of carbon dioxide in the bottle might not sound like much, but as it comes out of solution in the bottle it can expand to take up up to 8 litres in volume. This explains why the drastically increased formation of bubbles after adding Mentos to the bottle leads to the geyser of Coke shooting out of the top moments later – there’s nowhere else for the bubbly liquid to go but up!

Science teachers are well aware that some types of carbonated drinks work better than others for this demonstration; for example, Diet Coke usually gives a higher fountain than regular Coke. Previously, scientists have tried to investigate why this is , and they suggest that the artificial sweeteners in diet forms of carbonated drinks, specifically aspartame and benzoate, might be responsible. Their suggestion was that these compounds lower the surface tension of the liquid, which allows bubbles to form quicker. Sugar-sweetened drinks tend to be more viscous, which likely slows bubble formation, leading to smaller fountains than for their diet counterparts.

More recently, chemists at Spring Arbor University in the United States tested a range of different carbonated drinks and found that the height of fountains varied between different products. Generally, they found that carbonated water gave the smallest geysers, with sugar-sweetened beverages giving better results, and diet beverages better still. They suspected other compounds dissolved in the drinks might be affecting fountain height, so they carried out further tests on these compounds in isolation.

By dissolving quantities of the compounds in carbonated water, they were able to test each compound individually. Five common compounds in carbonated beverages were tested: aspartame, benzoate, linalool, citral, and citric acid. Their results showed that increasing the levels of all of these compounds increased the heights of the fountains obtained by as much as six times when Mentos were added, and at quantities usually found dissolved in commercial carbonated drinks. The exception was citric acid, which did increase fountain height too, but which required slightly more than usually used in drinks.

The results aren’t fully explained by the previous theory relating to surface tension. This is because some of the compounds tested actually increase surface tension when they are dissolved in water. The proposed explanation for this is that the dissolved compounds may actually be affecting how the bubbles themselves behave, and it is this combined with factors relating to surface tension that influences fountain height.

Investigating further, it was found that when the substances were dissolved in water, the bubbles produced were smaller. Bubble size, it turns out, is inversely proportional to the height of the Coke geyser; the smaller the bubbles, the greater the height achieved. The dissolved substances in the drink were stopping the smaller bubbles combining into bigger bubbles. When the bubbles are smaller, there is a greater surface area for the carbon dioxide still dissolved in the solution to escape into, so the degassing of the carbonated drink happens faster – giving a higher fountain.

Of course, the different substances dissolved in carbonated drinks don’t act in isolation, and they may also interact with one another to increase or decrease the height of the coke fountain. This may be the focus for further experiments. For now, it’s clear that there’s still plenty to learn about the best way to make the biggest Coke and Mentos fountain!

This graphic is based on the following paper:  New demonstrations and new insights on the mechanism of the Candy-Cola soda geyser   – T S Kuntzleman, L S Davenport, V I Cothran, J T Kuntzleman, D J Campbell; J Chem Educ; Link :  http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.6b00862

This is a commissioned Chemunicate graphic. Chemunicate creates commissioned graphics for chemistry researchers and institutions. If you’re interested in having a graphic made based on your research or some other topic, find out more here .

Share this graphic:

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window)

John Kelley

really cool seeing a systematic experiment on this. I wonder how a nitrogenated beverage would compare, since nitrogen bubbles are inherently smaller? (Guinness was my inspiration on this thought :] )

also made me think of another experiment designed for guys doing dumb things: take a mouthful of soda and drop in a Mentos. How many Mentos can you drop in while being able to keep the soda from spewing out of your mouth (i.e., how strong is your mouth vs the pressure released)? (kids, this is rhetorical – do not actually try this)

• Trackback: WEEKEND POST 128 | HEATHER GOESCH NUTRITION

Comments are closed.

You May Also Like

Finding More Stable Forms of Drugs Using Full Interaction Maps

Today in Chemistry History: Henri Becquerel and the discovery of radioactivity

RealTimeChem Week: Developing Cheaper Lab-on-a-chip Devices with 3D Printing

Get Your ALL ACCESS Shop Pass here →

Diet Coke and Mentos Eruption

Love fizzing and exploding science experiments ? YES!! Well, here’s another one the kids are sure to love! All you need is a pack of Mentos candy and Diet Coke. You might think there’s a chemical reaction happening, but this Mentos and soda experiment is a great example of a physical reaction.

Mentos and Diet Coke Eruption

Is the reaction between Coke and Mentos a chemical reaction? With all the fizzing and foaming, it looks like there must be a chemical reaction between the Mentos and diet Coke, like our elephant toothpaste or baking soda and vinegar volcano .

However, you might be surprised that this experiment is an example of a physical change . Read on to find out why Mentos makes Coke explode if there is no Mentos and Coke chemical reaction.

• 2 liter Diet Coke
• Mentos candy
• Index cards

Diet Coke and Mentos Experiment Instructions

STEP 1: Roll up an index card into a tube and tape it together. The tube needs to be large enough to hold the Mentos and still allow them to fall out easily.

STEP 2: Tape the tube to the top of your bottle, but only tape on one side. An index card needs to be able to fit underneath the tube from one side.

STEP 3: Place the other index card under your tube and attach your string to it with tape.

STEP 4: Drop the Mentos into the tube.

STEP 5: Now back away with the string in hand. Pull the string, which will also pull out the index card, allowing the candy to fall in.

💡 NOTE: If you can, set up a measuring tape in the background to help record the height of the eruption. Or place a piece of tape at a certain height on a wall or garage door to get an approximate idea of the height of your eruptions!

If you’re recording the eruption, use the slow mode function to capture the peak height more easily. You’ll be able to pause and check out the fountain height.

Watch the excitement from a safe, and clean distance!

Coke and Mentos Science

Inside the Coke or soda is dissolved carbon dioxide gas, which forms a bond with the water, making the soda taste fizzy when you drink it. This is called a carbonated beverage. Usually, you can find these gas bubbles coming from the soda, creating a bit of foam in a glass.

However, much of the gas is trapped on the surface of the soda, waiting to get out! It is held there by a scientific concept called surface tension . Once the mentos are added, the gas bonds break down more quickly due to the candy’s rough surface.

Adding Mentos speeds up this process because more bubbles form on the Mentos’s surface than on the bottle’s side, pushing the liquid up. This is an example of a change in the state of matter ; the carbon dioxide dissolved in Diet Coke moves to a gaseous state.

💡Did you know you can try this experiment with other candies and even pennies? That’s because it’s a physical change instead of a chemical one! Go ahead and experiment!

How to Apply the Scientific Method

Mentos candy are relatively dense and sink quickly, causing a powerful, fast eruption; EYE PROTECTION is recommended if you are standing close!

You can extend this Mentos and coke experiment below with additional suggestions. Older kiddos will benefit from learning about and incorporating the scientific method !

If you want to set up an experiment with several trials, pick one thing to change, such as the type of soda! Don’t change everything! You need to change the independent variable and measure the dependent variable .

You can also get kids started by writing down their hypotheses before diving into the experiment. What do they think will happen when the Mentos is added?

After performing the experiment, kids can conclude what happened and how it matched their initial hypotheses. You can always change a hypothesis upon testing your theory!

Expand the Experiment

What about crushed Mentos? Change the size of the Mentos by breaking them into small pieces to test whether that changes the amount of foam produced.

What about soda flavors? Compare different types of soda while adding the same amount of Mentos to each. Which produces the most foam, diet coke or original coke? How about Orange, Root Beer, or Sprite? Does club soda or seltzer erupt?

What about temperature? Does ice-cold Diet Coke work better than room-temperature Diet Coke?

What about mint flavors? Do Mentos mints or Fruit Mentos work better?

What about alternative items? What can you try instead of Mentos candy? Will it produce the same results or a similar height of eruptions? Other options could include pennies, rock salt, or different size candy!

Mentos and Coke Science Fair Experiment

Science projects are an excellent tool for older kids to show what they know about science. They can also be used in various environments, including classrooms, homeschools, and groups.

Kids can take everything they have learned about using the scientific method , stating a hypothesis, creating variables , and analyzing and presenting data.

Want to turn this Diet Coke and Mentos rocket into a cool science project? Check out these helpful resources below.

• Easy Science Fair Projects
• Science Project Tips From A Teacher
• Science Fair Board Ideas
• Scientific Method Explained

More Fun Science Projects to Try

• Skittles Experiment
• Baking Soda and Vinegar Volcano
• Lava Lamp Experiment
• Growing Borax Crystals
• Pop Rocks and Soda
• Magic Milk Experiment
• Egg In Vinegar Experiment
• science experiments for kids

Printable Science Projects For Kids

If you’re looking to grab all of our printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets and bonuses like a STEAM Project pack, our Science Project Pack is what you need! Over 300+ Pages!

• 90+ classic science activities  with journal pages, supply lists, set up and process, and science information.  NEW! Activity-specific observation pages!
• Best science practices posters  and our original science method process folders for extra alternatives!
• Be a Collector activities pack  introduces kids to the world of making collections through the eyes of a scientist. What will they collect first?
• Know the Words Science vocabulary pack  includes flashcards, crosswords, and word searches that illuminate keywords in the experiments!
• My science journal writing prompts  explore what it means to be a scientist!!
• Bonus STEAM Project Pack:  Art meets science with doable projects!
• Bonus Quick Grab Packs for Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physics

Subscribe to receive a free 5-Day STEM Challenge Guide

~ projects to try now ~.

Everything To Know About the Mentos and Coke Experiment

By The Dad     Feb 13, 2021

Now that we’re entering the eleventeenth month of social distancing and pandemic life, we’ve all become pretty adept at finding ways to fight off boredom. Building elaborate LEGO sets ? Done it. Channeling our inner David Copperfield by learning magic tricks ? Yep, that too. And thanks to the popularity of TikTok, we’ve all witnessed the rise of many new social-media-born trends over the past year. Interestingly, though, one of those social-media-born trends isn’t new at all: the decades-old Mentos and Coke experiment. It’s true — all over the internet, you can find kids and their parents recreating the same experiment that’s been done thousands of times before. By dropping some Mentos into a two-liter of Coke, they create a man-made geyser of epic proportions.

It’s not as basic as it seems, though. There are so many variations and riffs on the experiment now. From using different kinds of carbonated drinks to different sized bottles and even trying the other Mentos flavors, there are plenty of ways to give the experiment your own spin. Why does it work? Which gives the ultimate “explosion”? And what other factors can take the experiment to new heights ?

We have all the answers (and then some). So, strap on some safety goggles and show your little science nerds how it’s done. As we walk you through all the basics, be sure to watch the videos of some different takes on the experiment!

The History Behind the Experiment

The Mentos and Coke challenge didn’t even start with Mentos. In the ’80s , budding scientists would thread the Wint-O-Green Life Savers onto a pipe cleaner and then drop them into bottles of soda to create geysers. It was a popular experiment in science classes across America. And then the ’90s happened. The manufacturer of Life Savers changed their sizing, and the candies would no longer fit through the mouth of a 2-liter bottle. Never ones to accept defeat, scientists set out to find new ways to make geysers. They found their answer in mint Mentos. And the rest is history… but, also the present.

Chemical or Physical Reaction?

While many people incorrectly claim that a chemical reaction causes the minty-soda geyser, they aren’t entirely in the right. In actuality, the answer is a bit more complicated. Scientific American explains that it’s more of a physical reaction. The reaction comes from the microscopic bumps on the candy disturbing the carbon dioxide in the Coca-Cola , causing it to release the epic burst of fizziness. Diet Coke has historically created the biggest burst because it has the most CO2. It’s all aided by the shape of the bottle. Don’t quite understand? Honestly, that’s okay. We’re all here for the geyser, not the science.

Variables to Consider

As we mentioned above, Diet Coke and Mentos create the biggest geyser. However, there are plenty of other things to try. Just because we know Diet Coke will create the biggest geyser, it doesn’t mean we can’t still experiment with other soft drinks. Using the various fruity flavors of Fanta may not create giant pop volcanos , but they will produce wildly colorful ones. 

Another interesting variable to consider is altitude. Depending on where you sit above or below sea level can also impact the height of your geyser. Live near the mountains in Tennessee or Colorado, for instance? See how the experiment’s results change when you do them at the top of the mountain versus when you do it at the base.

What other ways can you alter this experiment?

Sure, the shape on the 2-liter definitely plays a big part in your geyser-making. However, it does not have to be a constant or control. How can using different shapes bottles or containers affect the outcome?

How to Perform the Experiment

Supplies you need:.

• Safety goggles

Supplies to consider:

• More Mentos
• Other pop flavors
• Painter’s tape
• Tape measure
• Different sized vessels

Your best bet is to set up your experiment outside and in front of a wall or garage door . You can use your tape measure and painter’s tape to measure off 1- to 2-foot markings on the wall or door. Definitely mark measurements all the way up as high as you can reach.

Sit your 2-liter of Diet Coke close to the measurements, don your goggles, drop a few Mentos into the bottle, and run. Use the highest wet mark on the wall to measure the results. (If it didn’t splash on the wall, consider yourself lucky and use your kids’ best guess as to how high it reaches.) You could also set up your phone to video the drop and help keep accurate records — just keep it back far enough that it can catch the whole wall. Consider using another piece of painter’s tape to mark the Diet Coke’s peak splash.

Repeat the experiment with different types of soda or different vessels, continuing to record your results. Because, really, what else do we have to do right now? Plus, as ways to kill time go, this one’s pretty cool. 

What happens if you eat Mentos and Coke?

You may have heard that drinking Coke with Mentos will cause you to explode. But that’s not entirely true. You won’t blow up, but you will feel like an erupting volcano of discomfort. It causes you to burp and vomit profusely because the carbon dioxide in your stomach fights for a way out. This provokes the puking. So, you won’t die, but it isn’t a very fun activity.

Does the flavor of Mentos affect the explosion?

Mentos and pepsi (does it work).

Coke isn’t the only pop you can use for your Mentos rocket. You can make a Mentos explosion using any carbonated drink or soda. The reaction between carbon dioxide and Mentos causes the eruption. So, you could use orange soda, strawberry soda, and even root beer. It’ll give your rocket’s fuel an array of different colors.

What Is Roblox’s Spotify Island, and How Will Kids Try To Spend Money There?

By Jared Warner     May 4, 2022

Gaming and music go hand-in-hand, and Spotify hosts over two million gaming-related playlists. This makes their jump into the so-called metaverse a no-brainer, since it’s apparently real, and we will, in fact, have to deal with it.  But when Spotify invited The Dad to take a first-hand look at their partnership with Roblox, I was excited to ask the hard-hitting questions dads need to know. Questions like “What is Roblox?” and “No, really, is it like…like what is it?”

Okay, most of us have at least heard of Roblox and perhaps even used it as a motivating tool for chores or good grades or being left alone for an hour. Despite the surging popularity of feel-good, low lift video games like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley,  however, I’ve never actually played the game.  But Spotify recognizes the fantastic potential of video games to connect people and has created a space within the game world for users to connect through a love of music. I was given a chance to explore “Spotify Island,” a unique little sanctuary within Roblox , and play around with the features. While it’s not exactly Elden Ring in terms of gameplay nuance, it’s an early look at the merging of all our digital spheres, and certainly a first step toward how entertainment will start to feel in the coming years.

Sidenote: I have to say, the Spotify office is pretty rad. When I arrived, there was a full coffee bar in the lobby, complete with a barista who was very unimpressed by my order of regular black coffee. Look, Spotify, you know me, you know how many times a week I listen to Bruce Springsteen’s Darkness on the Edge of Town; what kind of coffee did you expect me to order?

Anyway, the Roblox thing. The game allows players to engage with user-generated content, mainly in the form of mini-games players can create and share. The basic gameplay of Spotify Island is to parkour your way around a digital island paradise, collecting heart-shaped tokens, finding hidden easter eggs, and interacting with other players at beat-making stations. The tokens you collect can be exchanged for in-game content, such as emotes and cosmetic changes to your avatar. That’s all pretty familiar territory to online gamers, but the hook is how Spotify will use this space to host unique moments between artists and fans.

In-game, Spotify will host mini-quests, virtual meet-and-greets, and other interactive experiences with artists, including, obviously, selling MERCH! Yes, what kid hasn’t begged for some extra virtual dollars to spend on a virtual t-shirt for their virtual person. As someone who spent money on multiple skins for the various Avengers in a game I don’t even like, I have no commentary on this.  But while it’s Dad Law to roll your eyes and act like your wallet is welded shut in these scenarios, Spotify made clear that in-game merch proceeds go directly to the artist. The artists are also as involved with the creative process as they’d like to be. Collectables and achievements are nothing new in video games – or, as we’ve seen with NFTs in the last year, real life for that matter. Considering the game’s been around since 2006, many artists will have grown up on Roblox themselves. I’m sure some young popstars will be thrilled to design in-game swag to share with fans. And I’m doubly sure preteens will lose their mind for it.

Spotfiy Island is a video game, but it’s more like a virtual lounge. I’m told there will be multiple islands added to the game world, with different themes and genres for each.This allows players to find their own little place in the metaverse based on their taste and creativity. Notably, the island features a large stage central to the action. While it’s not mentioned as part of an official release, it’s easy to see virtual events down the line, like how Fortnite has been used as a digital venue for concerts, movie trailers, and other #trending #things.

They announced they were starting partnerships with  K-Pop icons Sunmi and Stray Kids, and I politely pretended to know who they were. I’m sure the kids will be excited.

Washington DC, History, and Sightseeing with Kids

By Joel Willis     Apr 20, 2022

Dads love history, monuments, and museums. In one of nature’s cruelest twists, kids are, historically, not huge fans.

When I was a kid, my dad LOOOVED taking us to the Wright Patterson Air Force Museum. He was unphased by our groans and complaints, in fact he may have been fueled by them, as dads often are. It’s not that he didn’t care that we didn’t like it. Now that I’m a dad I realize he took ambivalence as a challenge, that he would be able to convince us of how fascinating it all really was. 

– – – – – – 

My family just got back from a trip to Washington DC for the White House Easter Egg Roll. The last time I was in DC was 30 years ago. I was 10. Coincidentally my son is now 10 (and my daughter is 12). So while we were sightseeing, I constantly compared it with what it must have been like when my dad took me there in 1993. 

Our flight left Cincinnati at 6:30am. We left our house at 3am, because dads love arriving super early for flights. Dads love to beat the rush and dads love early flights because the airport is less crowded. Etc etc etc. Some cliches are true. 

One of the first things we did was walk by the White House. DC was eerily empty Saturday morning but walking along the north side of the White House a Secret Service SUV suddenly stopped and rolled down its window. “HEY!” Uh oh… “THE DAD!” Uh ohhhhhh.

Let me pause and say that my kids do not think I’m cool. Partly because nobody’s kids think their parents are cool but mostly because I am 100% absolutely positively NOT COOL. Their assessment is spot on. But this was as if I scripted a scene that attempted to convince them I am cool.

An impressive Secret Service Officer got out of the car and shook my hand. He said “We see celebrities a lot but I don’t normally stop. But THE DAD? I love your guys’ stuff.” (As contractually required I assured him our content is made by a team of talented creators and I’m basically a boring business guy at this point.)

He got his police dog out of the car and let the kids pet him, even though he’s a highly trained combat doggo. 

My son told him his goal was to play Joe Biden in basketball. The guy said, “Wellll I don’t know how athletic he is.” (Leaned closer and lowered voice.) “Well, actually I do but I’m not allowed to say.” 

As he went back to patrolling, I gave my kids a knowing glance that asked, “Now do you think I’m cool?”

They responded with a glance back that unequivocally said, “Still nope. But the dog was cool.” Nonetheless, I am so grateful to that guy for stopping and raising my cool score from -1 to, perhaps, 0. 

Did anything similar happen on my previous trip to DC in 1993? No because my dad’s meme game was trash due to memes not existing yet.

The rest of the day was quintessential DC tourist stuff. So go ahead and play some montage background music in your head while you glance at pics. (Star Spangled Banner is a timeless choice but I’ll also accept My Country ‘Tis of Thee.)

Cliche right? We even did the “Pretend to lean on the Washington Monument” pic.

Did I appreciate DC more as a dad than as a 10-year-old kid? In ways words can’t describe. I stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial realizing this is the spot where Martin Luther King Jr gave the I Have a Dream Speech. I imagined throngs of people gathered. So much happened RIGHT HERE. 

We went to Ford’s Theater, where Abraham Lincoln was shot. I imagined the what ifs. What if John Wilkes Booth DIDN’T do that? What if the gun jammed? 

Life is tenuous. All of the moments that happened, both good and bad, celebratory and tragic, have led to the present and made our reality what it is. Historic spots, monuments, museums… they are documentation of the most important moments that got us here. They’re the inspiration for living a better life and making our children’s realities more rich and full. 

I looked at my kids. Did they realize the enormity? Did they appreciate the history? My daughter said something so profound. (This is an exact quote. I wrote it down in my phone so I could get it just right.) She said, “You should be grateful to have kids like us. We’ve been up since 3am doing your crap.”

I think she gets it.

In 2.5 days we walked over 60,000 steps. When we’d stop I’d say “I need to rest the ole gams.” (Gams being a funny word for legs.) This became our running joke. Because what is a family trip if not a series of inside jokes you can look back on later in life. So the theme of this trip was not historical reflection as intended, but rather “resting the gams.” When we walked through White House security for the Easter Egg Roll on our last day in DC, my son asked the Secret Service Officer, “Is this the gam resting station?” 

In 1993, we toured the inside of the White House. We couldn’t do that on this trip. Best I could offer was the South Lawn. What an amazing experience to walk the grounds. We saw the President, First Lady, the Easter Bunny, and Jimmy Fallon. 

My son shouted for the dancing duck to “hit the griddy!” What would the 1993 equivalent of this be? “Do the Macarena!”? Kids, hitting the griddy is just a modern version of the Macarena. Ruined the griddy. You’re welcome.

@thedad An attempt was made @thejoelwillis #hitthegriddy ♬ original sound – The Dad

A guy in the VIP section saw a friend near us and came over to shake his hand. My son said, “Hey dude can I get one of those too?” (a handshake). The guy shook my son’s hand and said, “Nice to meet you. I’m Hunter .”

True parenting media brand aficionados will appreciate this: I got to hang with Micaela Birmingham and Alison Bucalo from Scary Mommy! 

My kids’ favorite part? A pop up concert from Sofia Carson. In true dad fashion, I didn’t know who she was ( despite her 16.3M IG followers ) until my daughter told me she was Evie in The Descendents. Ah yes! Chillin Like a Villain! Historic. 

@thedad We were at the White House yesterday for the Easter Egg Roll. @Joel Willis’s son got a selfie with @SofiaCarson and his reaction (and the pic) are killing me 🤣 ♬ original sound – The Dad

I’ve exaggerated for comedic effect. My kids appreciated the history more than most would. Certainly more than I did in 1993.

As parents, we need to remind ourselves: the point of historic sightseeing with your kids is not to induce some epiphany about their unique place in history and the world; the point is to create memories with your kids that they’ll look back on and appreciate when they’re older.

After I became a dad, when my kids were little, we invited my dad to go with us to the Wright Patterson Air Force Museum. I hadn’t been since I was a kid. Ya know what? Through adult eyes it really was fascinating. My dad won the challenge after all. 

My kids humored us and were as interested as kids can get. But they got to spend time with their grandpa. That’s what it was about all along. 

He passed away a few weeks later and that was one of the last times we saw him. I’ll be forever grateful that we took that last trip to the museum.

History isn’t only boring museums, statues, and lengthy esoteric plaques. History is personal: our family, memories, shared experiences, and inside jokes. Some fascinating, some boring. Some heroic, some tragic. That’s the stuff life is made of.

4 Things That Will Help You Remain Calm When Your Kids Use The Internet

By The Dad     Jan 20, 2022

The idea of unleashing your child into the digital world gives parents the same trepidation traditionally reserved for teaching a hormone-crazed teenager how to merge into rush hour traffic. Sure, the World Wide Web can be a scary place, but in a lot of ways, the experience is better than when we were kids. What we’ve lost in dial-up noises, we’ve gained in parental controls and strategies to make the online world a healthier environment for our kids.

You Control the World They Play In

There aren’t many phrases scarier for a parent than “in-app purchases available.” Thankfully, you can add layers of purchasing restrictions to make sure your kid doesn’t convert your life savings into video game currency.

Once you have your pocketbook protected, most apps and services also have filters you can apply to serve up only age-appropriate content. Video platforms get better every day at creating a digital world with training wheels for pre-teens. Most games restrict chat functions for younger kids so you don’t have to worry about strangers trying to make small talk with your second grader who simply wants to feed a pretend horse in an open-world environment.

Most importantly, keeping kids aware of your screen time rules — and enforcing them — will go a long way to keeping their digital habit a healthy one.

Today’s Parental Supervision Tools Are Next Level

Just as you want to know who your kid’s in-person friends are, you can monitor their early digital interactions to make sure they’re using the internet for good. Apps like Messenger Kids  create a safer environment where kids can interact and play with their buddies while parents keep an eye on their whole experience.

Messaging apps are not only a great way for kids to stay connected with buddies outside of a classroom or play date, but they’re a solid introduction for kids to the digital world. They foster creativity by giving kids freedom in how they play and connect, while also aiding social and emotional development by helping kids stay in touch with friends and family members.

With Messenger Kids, you have your own separate Parent Dashboard that allows you to manage your kid’s contact list, set “off times” to enforce screen time limits, and check in on your child’s conversations, which is especially helpful with younger kids.

You’re Already Teaching Them What They Need To Know

Isolation and bullying are among the biggest dangers for teenagers growing up digitally. Actually, they’re some of the biggest problems of being a kid, period. But just as the digital world can intensify some of those issues, smart digital tools can also be part of the solution.

Many apps and platforms are joining the mission to educate and encourage positive behaviors in the digital realm. The Messenger Kids Pledge echoes the attitudes we want our kids to exhibit in real life: Be Kind, Be Respectful, Be Safe, and Have Fun. To help kids learn these behaviors and put them into practice, Messenger Kids’ new interactive Pledge Planets activity puts kids in charge of helping characters navigate social situations by using their digital citizenship skills. Messenger Kids’ interactive games also have report functions to help dramatically limit in-game bullying, while parental supervision tools let you monitor your kid’s online play.

Fortunately, there has never been more education and awareness in schools to combat issues like bullying. Those are the same values and lessons you’re instilling in your kids at home, both in-person and online.

Spending Time Online With Your Kid Can Be an Incredible Bonding Experience

Having an online kid doesn’t have to be scary — it can actually enhance your relationship. It’s something fun to do together. You don’t have to wait to throw a ball around the yard, you can destroy your fourth-grader in your favorite racing game. Meeting your kid on their level and gaming together, whether it’s a world-building game or a team-up-to-defend-the-world-from-zombies game, are memories they’ll carry forever. And it gives you a chance to model the behavior you expect from them online.

Also, an ongoing messaging relationship with your kid can bring you closer. Nothing cheers up the final quarter of your workday like your kid sending a GIF on Messenger Kids after they get home from school. Ask a child how school was, and they listlessly respond, “Fine.” Ask via text, and they might give you a whole breakdown of what’s going on — though it might be communicated with memes and emojis. Still, it adds a whole new dimension to your relationship. And you can’t ask for much more than that.

Messenger Kids is the video, voice, and messaging app designed for kids to connect with family and friends. Learn more by exploring messengerkids.com .

POSTED Homeless Man Heroically Pulls Police Officer From Burning Cruiser

By Mark Chalifoux     Jan 18, 2022

Johnny Walker was working near a store where a police cruiser was involved in an accident while chasing a suspect. He heard the crash, saw squad car had gone up in flames, and leapt to action.

“I’m homeless, I was doing some work for someone. I was taking some tools back when I heard ‘boom, boom, boom, boom,’” he said to a local TV station. “I ran out here to see what it is and I saw a lot of cars, but I paid attention to the fire. My instincts were to go to that car and help him out, because he was crushed in on both sides.”

The deputy was chasing a suspect of an armed robbery when he collided with another car in an intersection. Several vehicles were involved, and one woman was tragically killed.  How you respond in a situation like that says a lot about a person. He didn’t see the armed robbery, he didn’t see the cop crash into cars in the intersection. He just  saw a car on fire, and threw himself into harm’s way to help.

And Walker got a big reward for his efforts. Not in an official capacity, but his family, who thought the homeless man had passed away, saw him being interviewed on TV. They’ve since reconnected with him, and raised more than $10,000 to help him find a home and counseling. The selfless heroic act hopefully has him back on a path to more stability.

The Rock Refuses Vin Diesel’s Fast and Furious Invitation

By Mike Julianelle     Dec 31, 2021

Sometimes, even family, fall out. Even the Fast and the Furious family.

That’s what happened with Vin Diesel and The Rock, who very publicly dislike each other and stopped teaming up on Fast movies. The Rock showed up for Fast 5, 6, 7, and 8, then had enough, did his Diesel-free Hobbs and Shaw spinoff movie, and said sayonara . But Diesel, perhaps after Fast 8 and Fast 9 weren’t quite as furious as he’d hoped, finally saw the light and asked The Rock to return for Fast 10 to wrap up the series. To which The Rock said: Nah.

A few months ago, Diesel posted to Instagram:

“The world awaits the finale of ‘Fast 10,’” Diesel wrote. “As you know, my children refer to you as Uncle Dwayne in my house. There is not a holiday that goes by that they and you don’t send well wishes… but the time has come. Legacy awaits. I told you years ago that I was going to fulfill my promise to Pablo. I swore that we would reach and manifest the best Fast in the finale that is 10!”

Diesel took to Instagram to essentially beg The Rock to return. The Rock has finally responded. Not in the way Vin Diesel wanted.

In an interview with CNN, the DC’s Black Adam laid it all out:

“I told [Diesel] directly that I would not be returning to the franchise. I was firm yet cordial with my words and said that I would always be supportive of the cast and always root for the franchise to be successful, but that there was no chance I would return.”

He directly addressed Diesel’s social media post asking him back: “Vin’s recent public post was an example of his manipulation. I didn’t like that he brought up his children in the post, as well as Paul Walker’s death. Leave them out of it. We had spoken months ago about this and came to a clear understanding.”

There are no hard feelings, of course.

“My goal all along was to end my amazing journey with this incredible franchise with gratitude and grace. It’s unfortunate that this public dialogue has muddied the waters. Regardless, I’m confident in the ‘Fast’ universe and its ability to consistently deliver for the audience… I truly wish my former co-stars and crew members the best of luck and success in the next chapter.”

And that’s that.

Belfast Star Wishes Dad Was Around To See His New Movie

Not every star makes it big early. Some spend long careers grinding, never quite getting that big break, or fully realizing their potential , until later in their lives. It’s not easy waiting for recognition, or for finally delivering the project they’ve always wanted to make, especially when the people who would be most proud of your accomplishments aren’t around to see them.

For actor Jaime Dornan, that person is his father .

Dornan was a model who hit it big when he was cast in the film adaptation of the hugely popular book series, Shades of Grey. He’d become a star, and was very successful, but it’s his latest project that is getting the most attention. He stars in Belfast, an autobiographical tale from writer/director Kenneth Branagh, about a young boy growing up in Northern Ireland. The movie is an Oscar favorite, and Dornan is proud to be a part of it. He just wishes his father were still around to see it.

Dornan’s father, Jim, was a renowned obstetrician and gynecologist and was considered a pioneer in the field of women’s reproductive rights. He passed away from Covid-19 last March while Dornan was on quarantine while filming in Australia.

“For my dad not to see Belfast really hurts,” he told the Sunday Times . “I take comfort from the fact that he knows I did it. Some people go their whole lives without being told they’ve made their parents proud. My dad told me every day.”

Dornan says his father was the one who encouraged him to explore his creative side – rather than end up a working stiff.

“I didn’t want to become an estate agent in Belfast and play a bit of club rugby at weekends — with the greatest respect to estate agents in Belfast,” he added. “I just felt I had a wee bit more to offer than that… even though it is lunacy to try to be an actor. Only 4 per cent of actors are employed — who in their right mind would pursue that?”

His dad encouraged him, and Dornan has made his way quite well, and his dad knew it.

Peter Dinklage Says Fans Need to ‘Move On’ From Game of Thrones Ending

By Mark Chalifoux     Dec 31, 2021

Game of Thrones was an incredible show. Groundbreaking for HBO and it absolutely deserved all the good accolades that came its way. But that last season…Season 8 of the show will always be the asterisk that drags the show down from being one of the best ever. But, star Peter Dinklage has a message for fans; “Move on.”

Dinklage, who was truly fantastic as Tyrion Lannister, gave a wide-ranging interview to the New York Times recently about new projects he’s working on. Late in the interview, he was asked about the ending.

“It’s fiction. There’s dragons in it. Move on [laughs]. No, but the show subverts what you think, and that’s what I love about it… Everybody had their own stories going on, but nobody’s was as good as what the show delivered.” – Peter Dinklage on Game of Throne’s ending pic.twitter.com/fI9fZ6eNcz — IGN (@IGN) December 28, 2021

He said he thought people were upset with it because “they wanted the pretty white people to ride off into the sunset together.”

“By the way, it’s fiction. There’s dragons in it. Move on,” he laughed. “No, but the show subverts what you think, and that’s what I love about it.”

Dinklage thought it was the perfect time to end the show, and thought the ending was brilliant in how it wasn’t about who ruled after all.

“Everybody had their own stories going on while watching that show, but nobody’s was as good as what the show delivered, I think,” he said.

He does make a strong case for how the show frequently went out of its way to set up a fantasy trope and then cut it down. It’s what kept the show interesting and kept viewers on their feet. HOWEVER, The fans have some legit gripes with how sped up the creators made that last season. Author George R.R. Martin thought the show should’ve been two seasons longer (of course he did, he can’t finish anything) and he’s probably right. At least another season would’ve allowed them to set up the finish better.

Still, the destination was the destination, no matter how bungled the pacing was. And people…were not going to like that destination. It’s unseen if that’s how Martin plans to end things (although he clued the creators into other major moments that aren’t in the books yet, so I can’t imagine he veers off course with the ending), but Dinklage is right in that everyone had a different story. And no matter what, many of them were going to be mad with how it ended  (and just the fact that it actually was over).

But if the ending actually was as good as he thinks it was, the show would still be spoken about reverently in culture. Instead, most people have moved on. And that’s the biggest sign that things didn’t work as well as possible.

Laura: So Lucky

By Mike Julianelle     Dec 30, 2021    |   Updated Dec 31, 2021

“We have 2 under 2, about 14 months apart. Covid has become increasingly difficult with being in lock down and stay home orders (we’re in Ontario).

My husband has worked around the clock to be able to provide for us, as we’ve felt the financial ramifications just like so many. He works two jobs to cover our expenses and comes home always so present and involved with the kids. Always there to give me a break when I’m on my mental tipping point.

He’s always the first to say, “go for a drive, or go have a nap”… he does so much for us and never asks for anything in return. We’re so lucky.”

– Laura Fleming

Teen McDonald’s Employee Jumps Through Drive-thru Window To Save Choking Woman

By Yael Meshulam     Dec 30, 2021

A Minnesota teen served up more than just burgers and fries during her Saturday shift at McDonald’s . Throughout the seven months 15-year-old Sydney Raley spent working at the McDonald’s in Eden Prairie, her biggest challenges consisted of handling the daily lunch rush. That is, until a seemingly-typical day at the drive-thru turned almost catastrophic.

The hard-working teen was in the midst of her weekend shift, taking orders and handing customers their food through the drive-thru window. Working in food service can be incredibly hectic, but Sydney’s attentiveness and quick thinking meant the difference between life and death for one customer. After handing a woman and her daughter their first bag of food, Sydney turned to check on the remainder of their order. When the 15-year-old went to update her customers, she noticed something was seriously wrong.

“She was coughing like crazy, and I noticed she was gagging.” Sydney told CNN . “Her daughter was in the passenger seat and she looked so freaked out. I immediately knew ‘Oh, no, she’s choking.'”

Sydney learned the Heimlich maneuver from a Red Cross class for babysitters years before, and almost automatically, her training kicked in. After instructing both her manager and the customer’s daughter to call 911, Sydney leaped through the drive-thru window to do whatever she could to save the woman’s life.

With the help of a bystander, Sydney dislodged the chicken nugget from the choking woman’s throat. Though the customer was still in a state of shock, her immense gratitude was evident. The heroic teen received a reward from the Edina Police Department for her heroism, and well-earned praise from her community as a whole.

• Science Notes Posts
• Contact Science Notes
• Todd Helmenstine Biography
• Anne Helmenstine Biography
• Free Printable Periodic Tables (PDF and PNG)
• Periodic Table Wallpapers
• Interactive Periodic Table
• Periodic Table Posters
• Science Experiments for Kids
• How to Grow Crystals
• Chemistry Projects
• Fire and Flames Projects
• Holiday Science
• Chemistry Problems With Answers
• Physics Problems
• Unit Conversion Example Problems
• Chemistry Worksheets
• Biology Worksheets
• Periodic Table Worksheets
• Physical Science Worksheets
• Science Lab Worksheets
• My Amazon Books

Diet Coke and Mentos Soda Geyser

The Diet Coke and Mentos soda geyser, also known as the soda and candy fountain or volcano, is a physical reaction between candy and carbon dioxide that instantaneously releases the gas so it shoots into the air. There is a lot of science behind this deceptively simple project! Here are instructions for performing the original project, tips for getting the tallest eruption, options for material substitutions, and a look at how the Diet Coke and Mentos geyser works.

All you need is a packet of Mentos candies and a 2-liter bottle of Diet Coke:

• Roll of Mentos candies
• 2-liter bottle of Diet Coke

Make sure the candy is fresh and the bottle of soda is unopened. Freshness matters!

You also need a way of delivering the candies into the soda. One method is just dropping the column from your hand, but rolling them into a paper or index card tube is more reliable. Stacking them into a test tube is another option.

Substitutions

While Mentos and Diet Coke work best, you have other options:

• Any carbonated beverage
• Any candy that stacks neatly into a column
• Coins, shot, or other small items that fit through the bottle opening
• Sand or salt instead of candy (which work quite well)

In general, diet carbonated beverages produce higher fountains than sugary ones. Also, they don’t produce a sticky mess. Uncarbonated beverages, like juice or water, do not work at all. Objects with smooth, flat surfaces (like coins) do not work nearly as well as other options.

How to Make the Diet Coke and Mentos Soda Geyser Erupt

The project is messy. You might want to step outdoors.

• Open the Mentos candies and stack them into a single column.
• Open the bottle of soda.
• Drop the column of candy into the bottle, all at once.

If you have more candy, you can repeat the eruption using the same bottle of soda. It won’t be quite as dramatic, but still works.

Tips for Getting the Biggest Eruption

• Diet Coke or other diet colas outperform any other drinks. There are a lot of potential reasons for this, mainly involving the effects of aspartame, potassium benzoate, and other ingredients on the surface tension and foaming capacity of the beverage. The worst carbonated beverages for this project are carbonated water and sparkling alcoholic drinks.
• The blue Mentos candies work better than other flavors. The fruity Mentos are reportedly the worst flavor. Freshly unwrapped candies are best. Old candy is not very effective, probably because humidity changes the candy surface.
• A 2-liter plastic bottle works better than any smaller bottle, whether it is plastic or glass.
• You get a better eruption at high altitude or low atmospheric pressure compared with sea level or other high pressure situation.
• Warm soda produces a higher fountain than cold soda.

How the Diet Coke and Mentos Experiment Works

The Diet Coke and Mentos eruption is a physical process more than a chemical reaction. The candy surface has many tiny imperfections and cavities, each only a micron or so in size. When you drop the Mentos into the soda there are numerous minute air bubbles stuck onto them. These little bubbles act as nucleation sites for rapid de-gassing of the soda:

CO 2 (aq) → CO 2 (g)

Because the nucleation sites lower the activation energy for bubble formation, you can say they catalyze the reaction.

The candies are dense enough that they sink to the bottom of the soda bottle, interacting with dissolved carbon dioxide as they fall. As carbon dioxide bubbles form, the gas is lighter than the liquid and the bubbles rise. As they rise, they expand. The pressure of the gas results in a quick release of pressure, making a geyser out of the soda. Ingredients in the partially-dissolved candy help the bubbles keep their shape and form a foam as the liquid ejects from the bottle.

Numerous investigations into why diet soda (especially cola) works better than sweetened soda or why Mentos works better than other candies answer some questions, but not all of them. The ingredients in the soda make a difference. However, which ones enhance bubble formation and which suppress it are unclear. The chemical composition of the candies likely contributes to bubble formation, but it’s really their surface structure that matters the most.

Turn the Science Project Into an Experiment

Performing the Diet Coke and Mentos project is easy, but turning the project into an experiment is also simple. Just find a variable under your control, predict the outcome from changing it, conduct an experiment that tests this hypothesis , and then analyze your results and see if your prediction was correct. Here are some ideas of variables you can explore:

• Is there an optimal number of candies for the best eruption?
• Compare different types of carbonated beverages. Do you think, for example, that Coke Zero performs as well as Diet Coke? Do other brands of diet cola perform as well?
• Explore the effect of soda temperature on fountain formation. If you see a difference, comparing chilled and warm soda, can you explain it ?
• Are there any candies that work as well as Mentos? In general, is there a way of predicting whether or not a particular kind of candy produces an eruption?
• What effect do you expect, if you add a bit of bubble solution or dishwashing liquid to the soda before adding the candy?
• Design different “candy delivery” systems. What are the pros and cons of each of them?
• Can you make a nozzle that reduces the diameter of the bottle? If so, what effect does this have on the height of the eruption?

Fun Facts About the Diet Coke and Mentos Project

• The original soda and candy fountain project, circa 1910, used Wint-O-Green Lifesaver candies (which as also great for the “spark in the dark” triboluminescence project ). However, the company changed the candy diameter in the 1990s and it no longer fits into most bottles.
• Scientists estimate the eruption releases between 2.4 and 14 million bubbles per liter of Diet Coke. Regular Coke produces a lot less bubbles.
• A single Mentos candy contains 50,000 to 300,000 nucleation sites, although the reaction does not utilize every one of them.
• Coffey, Tonya Shea (2008). “Diet Coke and Mentos: What is really behind this physical reaction?”. American Journal of Physics . 76 (6): 551–557. doi: 10.1119/1.2888546
• Kuntzleman, Thomas S.; Imhoff, Amanda M. (2021). “How Many Bubbles Are in the Foam Produced during the Candy-Cola Soda Geyser?”. Journal of Chemical Education . 98 (12): 3915–3920. doi: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.1c01001
• Kuntzleman, Thomas S.; Annis, Jezrielle; Anderson, Hazel; Kenney, Joshua B.; Doctor, Ninad (2020). “Kinetic Modeling of and Effect of Candy Additives on the Candy–Cola Soda Geyser: Experiments for Elementary School Science through Physical Chemistry”. Journal of Chemical Education . 97 (1): 283–288. doi: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00796
• Kuntzleman, Thomas S.; Johnson, Ryan (2020). “Probing the Mechanism of Bubble Nucleation in and the Effect of Atmospheric Pressure on the Candy–Cola Soda Geyser”. Journal of Chemical Education . 97 (4): 980–985. doi: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b01177

Related Posts

Leave a reply cancel reply.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

• Share full article

The Global Profile

With Purple Gold and Bouncy Metal, a Canadian Chemist Shines on YouTube

Disillusioned with grad school, Nigel Braun dropped out to film chemistry videos in his parents’ garage in Montreal. Then millions began viewing his whimsical and occasionally dangerous experiments.

Nigel Braun, known as “NileRed” among his millions of YouTube fans, with a powerful UV light at his lab in Montreal. Credit...

Supported by

By Vjosa Isai

Photographs by Nasuna Stuart-Ulin

Reporting from Montreal

• Aug. 17, 2024

While he can’t turn water into wine, Nigel Braun is making vodka out of thin air.

He is neither miracle worker nor magician. His secret is chemistry, and he films his experiments inside a commercial-grade laboratory in Montreal and shares the videos on his YouTube channel. That’s where 6.5 million subscribers know him as NileRed , like the fluorescent chemical dye, a name he acknowledges sounds vaguely biblical.

Mr. Braun’s videos surged in popularity during the pandemic, reaching 2.5 billion views, and as his audience ballooned, so did his ambitions. His experiments — often whimsical, sometimes practical and occasionally dangerous — range from transforming paint thinner into cherry cola, to developing bulletproof wood, to making carcinogens from scratch.

Over the past decade, since dropping out of grad school, Mr. Braun, 32, has outgrown a hobby workshop in his parents’ garage and two other facilities, settling into a third lab large enough to rival some academic research spaces in Canada.

But Mr. Braun considers himself less a chemist or a science communicator in the vein of Bill Nye and MythBusters than an adventurer. “I want to have a journey,” he said. “I’m not interested in just conveying information.”

Part of his appeal is that he doesn’t care to make chemistry look easy or neat.

Some of the tasks he sets himself on are both epic and arduous, like his many attempts to make purple gold, an alloy of gold and aluminum that gives the metal a unique color, but whose recipe is only vaguely described in one line of ingredients in a patent.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .

Advertisement