the coke bottle experiment

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The Infamous Coke and Mentos Experiment

September 11, 2014 By Emma Vanstone 1 Comment

The science experiments my children talk about for months afterwards are generally the messy ones, like our splatter patterns , glow in the dark oobleck ,  baking soda experiments and the well known coke and mento experiment .

If you try this classic chemis t ry experiment definitely do it outside as it’s VERY messy and sticky. Sometimes you’ll see it called a coke and mento geyse r, as the eruption looks like a geyser!

Coke and Mentos Experiment

You’ll need:.

Coke or other fizzy soda

Instructions

We dropped two Mentos into a bottle of normal Cola and Diet Cola. I used the cheapest brands available in our local supermarket.

Once you drop the Mentos into the coke, stand back as it’s VERY explosive. The trick is to drop the mento in as fast as you can. If too much of the fizz escapes before you add the mento the reaction won’t be as good.

What happens when Coke and Mentos mix?

There are several theories, but it’s thought that the many small pores on the surface of the mento speed up the release of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) gas from the soda as they give a larger surface area for the reaction to occur over, causing foam to erupt at a super fast rate.

Which soda works best with Mentos?

Any fizzy drink will produce a similar effect, but diet drinks seem to work best, as we found in our investigation. This is most likely due to the particular chemicals in diet drinks.

The reaction isn’t a chemical reaction but a physical reaction! The molecules haven’t been chemically changed, just re-arranged!

See Steve Spangler for a much more thorough explanation of this very cool experiment .

Does the number of mentos affect the height?

More Mentos candies should mean a better explosion, but there is a limit to how many will actually make a difference. We found 7 to be the maximum number we could drop in at once.

More Coke and Mentos Eruption Ideas

Investigate to find out if the type of fizzy drink matters. Does diet soda make a taller geyser?

Try lots of different sodas and diet sodas.

Test fruit-flavoured Mentos instead of mint flavoured.

Find out if the number of mentos affects the height of the geyser.

Investigate to discover what would happen if you left the top off the Cola for a few minutes before adding the Mento.

Use the reaction to power something? Maybe a LEGO car?

Design a device to drop several mentos into the bottle at the same time. Can you find out what the optimum number of mentos for a 2-litre bottle of soda is?

Last Updated on April 9, 2024 by Emma Vanstone

Safety Notice

Science Sparks ( Wild Sparks Enterprises Ltd ) are not liable for the actions of activity of any person who uses the information in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources. Science Sparks assume no liability with regard to injuries or damage to property that may occur as a result of using the information and carrying out the practical activities contained in this resource or in any of the suggested further resources.

These activities are designed to be carried out by children working with a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult. The adult involved is fully responsible for ensuring that the activities are carried out safely.

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December 17, 2019 at 7:20 pm

It will also work better the warmer the soda is

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Mentos and Coke Experiment – How to Do It! [Full Guide]

Have you ever taken a can of soda, shook it up, and given it to your friend?

What happens?

Well, it’s probably not pretty. And you may not have a friend for a day or two until they forgive you.

But making soda explode is fun. And there is a way to make it really go boom if you have a few pennies and a bit of time on your hands.

Note – be sure to only try this experiment with a responsible adult!

It really only takes a few minutes to setup the mentos and coke volcano experiment. And it’s a great way to learn about chemical reactions.

It’s also a lot less work than your classic paper mache volcano. So, if you want some quick and easy fun, get some paper towels because we’re about to make a sweet mess.

What Will I Need For The Mentos And Coke Volcano?

There really aren’t that many supplies you need to make a mentos and coke volcano.

But here’s the list:

An outdoor area with no ceiling or roof

One roll of Mentos candies

A two-liter bottle of diet soda (diet soda makes for a much better reaction, but you can use regular soda if you like. It just won’t be nearly as awesome.)

A tube the width of the Mentos . It needs to be wide enough to use as loader for the Mentos

An index card (picture below)

The Mentos And Coke Volcano Experiment

Now it’s time to actually run the experiment, but first, we need to make a hypothesis.

The Hypothesis

The scientific method is an important way scientists make observations and come to conclusions.

Part of the scientific method is making a prediction called a hypothesis .

Write down what you think will happen when placing the Mentos in the soda bottles.

Do a little bit of research about the ingredients of Mentos and soda.

This will help you make an informed guess as to what will happen.

Now You Test The Hypothesis

In an experiment, you have two groups: an experimental group, and a control group.

Open the soda bottle, set it down and write down what you observe about it.

This will count as your control group. It’s what happens when you put nothing in the soda.

Now take the Mentos in your tube loader.

Put the index card on top of the tube loader and turn the tube upside down.

The candy should not fall out.

Be ready. The reaction happens fast, so don’t have your face over the bottle.

Place the index card and candies over the mouth of the bottle. Make sure the candies are in line with the mouth of the bottle.

You want the candies going in the bottle and not falling over the side.

Now remove the index card and let candies fall in and step away from the Mentos and coke volcano.

Write down what happened when you dropped the Mentos in the coke.

Did what you hypothesize happen? Compare your notes on the experiment to the control group.

Let us know what you observed in your science experiment!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION

1. can i use any type of mentos candy for the experiment.

Yes, you can use any type of Mentos candy for the experiment. The most commonly used Mentos candies are the original mint-flavored ones, but you can also use fruit-flavored or other varieties. The key factor is the rough surface of the Mentos candy, which helps to create nucleation sites for the carbon dioxide bubbles in the Coke. This happens because Coke contains dissolved carbon dioxide gas.

2. What happens if I use diet Coke instead of regular Coke?

If you use cold diet Coke instead of regular Coke in the Mentos experiment, you can still expect an explosive reaction. However, the reaction may not be as vigorous as with regular Coke. Diet Coke contains artificial sweeteners like aspartame, which may slightly affect the reaction. Nonetheless, the combination of Mentos and diet Coke can still produce a notable geyser, so it’s worth giving it a try. SO it will be the mentos geyser experiment.

3. Is the Mentos and Coke experiment suitable for children to try at home?

The Coke and Mentos experiment can be a fun and engaging activity for children to try at home. However, ensuring proper adult supervision and following safety precautions is important. Conducting the mentos experiment outdoors or in a well-ventilated area is recommended to avoid any potential mess or accidental spills. Additionally, remind children not to consume the Coke or Mentos mixture, as it is unsafe for ingestion. By taking these precautions, the Coke and Mentos experiment can provide children an educational and entertaining experience.

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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.

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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

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Mentos and Coke Experiment: How-To Plus Free Worksheet

This explosive experiment teaches kids about physical reactions.

Adding Mentos candy to Coke is the stuff of legend. Every kid has heard the rumors about the explosive combination that results, but how many have actually tried it? While science teachers have been performing this experiment for years, it was first popularized in September of 2005 thanks to a viral video from Steve Spangler Science . The several-foot-high geyser that shoots from the soda bottle is a fun and awe-inspiring hands-on activity that any scientist in the making can perform. Be forewarned though: You’ll probably want to perform this experiment outside.

Read on to learn more about the Mentos and Coke experiment, and fill out the form on this page to grab your free recording sheet for the experiment.

How does the Mentos and Coke experiment work?

In this experiment, you drop Mentos mints into a 2-liter bottle of Coke. Make sure your bottle of soda is on a flat surface in a location where it is OK to make a mess. You then load the Mentos into your paper roll or geyser tube . Once the Mentos are dropped into the soda, they sink to the bottom, which causes the gas to expand and pushes the soda out of the bottle. This creates an exploding geyser effect.

What does the Mentos and Coke experiment teach?

Although you can’t see it, dissolved carbon dioxide is the invisible substance that makes soda bubbly and fizzy. As long as the soda remains in the bottle, the gas is kept in place through the pressurized conditions. When you shake a bottle of soda, some of that gas is released and the bubbles stick to nucleation sites or tiny defects on the inside of the container. If you open the shaken bottle, the bubbles will rapidly rise and push the liquid up and out of the bottle.

Aside from shaking the soda, another way to help the carbon dioxide escape is to drop an object into the bottle. Mentos are the perfect objects, since each candy has many little pits on its surface that serve as nucleation sites. Once the Mentos are dropped into the soda, the bubbles stick to those sites and quickly rise to the surface. The weight of the Mentos drives them to the bottom of the bottle. Then, the gas that is released by the Mentos forces the soda to shoot out of the bottle in a powerful geyser.

Is there a Mentos and Coke video?

This video shows how to do the Mentos and Coke experiment using just a few simple ingredients and supplies.

Materials Needed

To do the Mentos and Coke experiment, you will need:

• A roll or box of mint-flavored Mentos
• 2-liter bottle of Coca-Cola (aka Coke)
• Sheet of paper to roll into a tube OR pre-made geyser tube

Our free recording sheet is also helpful—fill out the form on this page to get it.

Mentos and Coke Experiment Steps

1. make a paper tube by taking a piece of paper and wrapping it around a roll of mentos, then taping it in place. pull the mentos out. alternatively, you can use a premade geyser tube available from amazon or other retailers..

2. If using a geyser tube, load the Mentos. If using a homemade paper roll, drop the Mentos into the roll while holding the bottom closed with your finger.

3. Placing a 2-liter bottle of Coke on a flat surface, remove the cap, and drop the Mentos into the open Coke bottle.

Grab our free Mentos and Coke experiment worksheet!

Fill out the form on this page to get your worksheet. The worksheet asks kids to guess the correct order of the steps in the experiment. Next, kids must make a prediction about what they think will happen. They can use the provided spaces to draw what happens before and after they add the Mentos. Did their predictions come true?

Additional Reflection Questions

• What happened when we added the Mentos to the Coke?
• What difference do you think the temperature of the Coke makes?
• What do you think would happen if we used different-flavored Mentos, like fruit?
• What do you think would happen if we used a different soda other than Coke?
• What do you think would happen if you use Diet Coke?

Can the Mentos and Coke experiment be used for a science fair?

Yes! If you want to do the Mentos and Coke experiment for a science fair, we recommend switching up some of the variables. For example: Does the temperature of the Coke matter? Does the brand of soda matter? Will generic soda produce the same results as the brand-name soda? What happens if you use fruit-flavored Mentos? What happens if you use Diet Coke instead of regular? Form a hypothesis about how changing the variables will impact the experiment. Good luck!

Looking for more experiment ideas? Check out our  big list of experiment ideas here.

Plus, be sure to  subscribe to our newsletters  for more articles like this., you might also like.

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

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Have you ever noticed that when you put a straw in soda pop, the straw gets a lot of bubbles on it? Why does that happen? And will it happen if you put other stuff in soda pop?

    1. Very slowly and carefully, open a new bottle of colorless soda.

    2. Tilt the cup and slowly pour the soda down the inside of the cup to make as few bubbles as possible.  

3. Place a straw in the soda and look at the straw from the side.   

4.  Take the straw out of the soda and put a pipe cleaner in. Look from the side to see if bubbles also form on the pipe cleaner. 

5. Now take the pipe cleaner out and place a Mento in the soda. Watch the Mento from the side to see what happens.

 What to expect

Bubbles will form on the straw and very quickly and completely cover the pipe cleaner.

What's happening in there?

Why do the bubbles form on the different things you put in the soda?

The bubbles are made of a gas called carbon dioxide. The soda company puts carbon dioxide in the soda to make the soda fizzy.

Also, the things you put in the soda aren’t really as smooth as they look with just your eyes. If you could look at the straw, pipe cleaner, and Mento with a super-strong microscope you would see that they have tiny dents, scratches, and bumps on them. 

The carbon dioxide molecules collect on these places and form bubbles which rise to the surface.

Make a Mentos-and-Soda Fountain!

There is a pretty cool thing you can do with a bottle of soda pop and a packet of Mentos. Let’s try it!

First, make a tube for the Mentos.

1. Cut a piece of paper so that it is as wide as a roll of Mentos.

2. Wrap the paper around the pack of Mentos to make a tube. Use masking tape to tape the tube closed. Remove the pack of Mentos from the tube.

3. Close off one end of the tube by cutting a little circle or square of paper and taping it to one end of the tube.

4. Open the pack of Mentos and place all of them in the tube.

Now, make a Mentos-and-soda fountain!

1. Slowly and carefully open a new bottle of Diet Coke.  

2. Place it on a flat area outside where it is OK to get wet with soda.

3. Put the open end of your tube of Mentos on the card and place it directly over the opening of the soda bottle.

4. When you are ready, remove the card and let all the Mentos drop into the soda at once and quickly move out of the way.

Bubbles and soda will quickly shoot out of the bottle in a high fountain.

The carbon dioxide molecules attach to the surfaces of the Mentos like they did in the cup of soda. All those Mentos in a lot of soda make a lot of bubbles that rise to the surface and push the soda out in a big woosh!

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Coke and Mentos Experiment – Easy STEM for Kids

Categories Science , STEM

The Coke and Mentos Experiment is an easy science experiment to do with kids of all ages. Even toddlers and preschoolers will shriek with delight as they watch this chemical reaction take place.

Disclosure: Adult supervision is required for all activities at all times.

Table of Contents

• More STEM activities to try
• Materials needed
• Watch the video

Instructions

• Experiment ideas
• How does it work?

STEM Activities for Kids

Help your toddlers and preschoolers become the next new scientist or engineer with these fun STEM activities. These are great for getting little learners involved in STEM through hands-on play.

• How to Make A Pom Pom Shooter
• Floating City – STEM activity for Kids
• Building Shapes – STEM for Kids
• Magnet Exploration

For more ideas check out 34 STEM Experiments for Toddlers .

Materials Needed

• A large bottle of coke
• A packet of mentos
• A plastic tub
• Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks (optional)

Watch the Video

Coke and Mentos Experiment Instructions

1: use the hot glue gun to glue 6 mentos together..

You can always use more or less mentos if you need to, the number of mentos will depend on how large your bottle of coke is. 

Gluing the mentos together is an optional step, but one that I find invaluable when doing this experiment with toddlers and preschoolers. Because the reaction happens instantly, it’s hard to drop all of the mentos in before the coke starts to come out of the bottle.

By creating a mentos tower, the kids can drop all of the mentos in at once.

2. Place your bottle of coke in a large tub. 

Once again the tub is optional and is only used to help clean up afterwards. If you prefer, you can do this experiment outside on the grass. Just make sure that your outdoor area has a flat surface you can use. If the bottle of soda falls over before you’ve dropped in the mentos candy, you’re going to be disappointed.

3. Drop your mentos tower into the bottle of coke, stand back and enjoy.

Different Ways to turn this into an Experiment

If you are doing this experiment with older children, you can use the scientific method to see which conditions affect the height of the geyser.

Idea 1. Change the Temperature.

Does cold, room temperature, or warm soda affect the amazing eruption? Place a bottle in the fridge, one in the sun and one at room temperature to find out if any of these temperatures create a large eruption.

Idea 2. How many mentos are needed in a coke and mentos experiment?

You’ll need at least 7 – 8 mentos for this activity. However you can always experiment with a different number of mentos to find out. Set up several soda bottles and then place a different number of mentos in each bottle and measure the fountain height to see which worked best.

Idea 3. Which soda works best with mentos?

You can use any type of soda pop you like for this experiment. While it’s believed that Diet Coke has the most impressive results, the truth is that there isn’t much difference in the height of the eruption between diet and regular soda.

The main difference is when cleaning up. Regular coke becomes sticky because of the high sugar content. While diet soda instead contains artificial sweeteners. Cleaning up the mess is another reason why outdoors is the perfect place to do this soda experiment.

However, you can always experiment with different types of soda and see what happens. Mountain dew, classic diet coke, orange soda are all options you can try.

How does the coke and mentos experiment work? Coke and Mentos Explained

Coke, and other carbonated beverages are filled with dissolved carbon dioxide gas. This gas has formed bonds with the water in the soda. 

In order for the mentos reaction to take place, the gas needs to break the bonds with the water and interact with the rest of the carbon dioxide gas in the coke. When carbon dioxide interacts with itself it forms gas bubbles. That is why we can see bubbles form when we pour a glass of coke to drink or shake the bottle up.

When you drop a tower of mentos into the bottle, they break the bonds that hold the carbon dioxide gas and water together. Because the mentos tower sinks to the bottom of the bottle, instead of floating, this means that the whole bottle will undergo this reaction at once.

These bubbles come rushing out at great speed and because the coke bottle has a small opening, the bubbles rush high into the air. Creating an eruption effect.

While toddlers and preschoolers aren’t going to understand why this chemical reaction takes place, it’s still cool to learn as an adult. I love Steve Spangler’s explanation of the chemistry involved in this STEM idea.

Are you going to try the Coke and Mentos Experiment with your kids? Don’t forget to Pin the idea for later.

Coke and Mentos Experiment

The  Coke and Mentos Experiment  is an easy science experiment to do with kids of all ages. Even toddlers and preschoolers will shriek with delight as they watch this chemical reaction take place.

• Use the hot glue gun to glue 7 - 8 mentos together. This is optional, it just helps to add all of the mentos into the bottle at the same time.
• Place your bottle of coke in a large tub. This is optional, it just makes cleaning up more easy.
• Drop your mentos tower into the bottle.
• Stand back and enjoy.

If you are doing this STEM activity with older kids, you can experiment with a few different ideas to introduce them to the scientific method.

• Change the temperature of the coke. Experiment to see if cold, warm or room temperature coke changes the reaction.
• Change the number of mentos.
• Experiment to see which soda works best. Coke, diet coke or any other kind of soda. Which one has the best results?

More Play Based Learning for Kids

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June 14, 2012

Spurting Science: Erupting Diet Coke with Mentos

A carbonated challenge from Science Buddies

By Science Buddies

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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

--> Gilla: Dela: 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? Gilla: Dela: 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. Book Lists by Age Book Lists by Category Reading Resources Language & Speech Raise a Reader Blog Back to School Success Guides by Grade Homework Help Social & Emotional Learning Activities for Kids DIY Soda Explosion Create a fountain of foam with soda and mints to teach your kids about science. Transform an ordinary day into an extraordinary one by combining Diet Coke and Mentos to create a spectacular soda fountain. Kids love watching (and doing) this fun, easy chemical reaction that combines two delicious ingredients to create a geyser of carbon dioxide bubbles. Hint: This is definitely an outdoor experiment — it can get messy. Eye protection is recommended. Pick up some extra Mentos and Diet Coke, since your kids will want to do it again and again. What You'll Need a two liter bottle of Diet Coke 2 rolls of Mentos mints 1 piece of 8x10 inch paper, like construction paper How to Create the Geyser Step 1:  Remove the lid from the Diet Coke and set it the bottle of soda on a flat surface. For more quick tips and book recommendations, sign up for our Scholastic Parents newsletter! You'll also get 10% off your first order at the Scholastic Store Online. The Science Behind the Fun Scientists aren’t sure exactly why the Mentos cause such an explosive reaction, but they think that the sweetener and other chemicals in the Mentos react with the Diet Coke to cause lots of carbon dioxide bubbles to form on the surface of the mints very quickly. This causes pressure to build in the bottle and send a spectacular jet of bubbles shooting into the air. You can find more experiments like this one at kitchenpantryscientist.com , and in my books Kitchen Science Lab for Kids (Quarry Books) and Outdoor Science Lab for Kids (Quarry Books). © Quarry Books, 2016/Outdoor Science Lab for Kids Featured Photos Credit: © Quarry Books Shop STEM Resources 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 ~. Mentos and Coke: How To Build A Soda Mentos Rocket By: Author Charlene Hess Posted on Last updated: January 5, 2024 This article may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy for more details. If you’re wondering how to build a soda mentos rocket and have a fun STEM project of your very own, this is the place for you! One of our very favorite exploding STEM activities has been this mentos and coke experiment. It’s a great example of a STEM activity that incorporates physics and math in a fun and engaging way. Enjoy this activity as part of your Memorial Day or Independence Day celebrations or as part of your homeschool lessons during the school year. Easy Navigation All About The Soda Mentos Bottle Rocket If you’re in the mood for an awesome STEM activity that ends with a BANG, you might consider  building a soda and mentos rocket .   Diet coke and mentos eruptions experiments are a very popular STEM activity for families with younger kids, but if you really want to up your mentos and diet coke game, especially if you’re working with older kids, a soda bottle rocket is the only way to go. Check out this fun video of our soda and mentos rocket that we made the other day.  We had a lot of fun with this project! This kind of activity would be the perfect way to celebrate Independence Day, Memorial Day, or New Year’s at home with friends and family.   What’s more, you don’t have to wait for any particular holiday to make your own soda bottle rocket.   Turn your bottle of diet coke into a projectile any time of year with your very own at-home physical reaction adventure. Learning About Chemical and Physical Reactions  STEAM and STEM activities for younger kids are easy to come by and the learning opportunities, though fun and exciting for youngsters, are usually fairly simple.   While young kids will enjoy and benefit from this bottle rocket activity, this activity is geared more towards older kids. The Original AquaPod Rocket Bottle Launcher Kit - Launches Soda Bottles 100 Ft Up in The Air - Fun Educational STEM Holiday Idea for Kids & Teens - Great Science Toy & Outdoor Activity The Aquapod Bottle Launcher uses science and pressure to propel ordinary 2-liter plastic soda bottles up to 100 feet in the air! Portable and easy to use- The Aquapod Water Rocket Bottle Launcher provides hours of outdoor fun and excitement! Cool Backyard Stem Toy- Features a durable one piece design with a built-in pressure release safety valve - Tested for safety and durability! Teaches educational concepts of science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) and more! New and improved design! For ages 14+ and great Science Kit gift for teenage boys and girls. This is a fun outdoor activity for summer camps, birthday parties, and family fun!Outdoor use only. Requires a 2-liter plastic soda bottle and a bicycle pump (NOT included). As Seen on Vy Qwaint's YouTube Video on March 4th. Vy Qwaint is part of The Spy Ninja YouTube Channel, starring Chad Wild. Why?  Because the actual building of the rocket takes some higher-level building and assembly skills as well as problem-solving skills.   However, the lessons on physical reactions and chemical reactions are universal no matter your age.   If you’re working with a large family or kids of multiple ages, put the older kids to work on building and assembly while the younger kids enjoy a fun and practical lesson on physical and chemical reactions. So what is there to be learned from a mentos and diet coke experiment?   Chemical Reactions First, there is a difference between a chemical reaction and a physical reaction. In a chemical reaction, different ingredients combine and then change one or the other (or both!) into a totally different element.   The combination of these ingredients causes a chemical change or reaction.   A simple example of a chemical reaction would be the combination of baking soda and vinegar.  When baking soda and vinegar combine, the bubbly reaction you witness is purely chemical. When you drop mentos candies into a bottle of diet coke, you are not viewing a chemical reaction but a physical reaction.   Physical Reactions In a physical reaction, all of the components of the reaction are already there in the original ingredients, and what you are viewing is merely a  rearranging  of these components.   Take the diet soda and mentos candies for example. A carbonated beverage is packed full of dissolved carbon dioxide gas, which forms bonds with water.   When you open a bottle of soda, you release the pressure and some of the gas escapes.   The same thing happens when you pour soda into a glass. However, most of the carbon dioxide gas stays bonded to the water molecules in the soda and does not get released until  A: you let the soda go ‘flat’ or  B: you drink the soda and then experience a higher frequency in burping. Or in this case, there is a C: when you use another material to help break up the carbon dioxide’s bonds with the water.   Why Does Coke and Mentos Explode? So why do mentos and coke react? Well, although a mentos candy may look smooth, when you zoom in (such as with a microscope ) you will see that the candies are not smooth at all!  Rather, they are very bumpy and almost canyon-like.   AmScope 120X-1200X 52-pcs Kids Beginner Microscope STEM Kit with Metal Body Microscope, Plastic Slides, LED Light and Carrying Box (M30-ABS-KT2-W),White Beginner compound microscope provides high magnification for educational applications Monocular viewing head with LED and mirror illumination and built-in color filter wheel. Field View: Widefield, Stage: Single-layer Stage with Clips Forward-facing rotating turret provides 120x, 240x, 300x, 480x, 600x, and 1200x magnifications Coaxial coarse focus has a rack-and-pinion focus mechanism on a durable and stain-resistant white metal frame Comes with 52-piece accessory kit and hard-sided plastic ABS case Included components: Microscope Kit Reflecting mirror for natural illumination; built-in light for direct illumination When you drop a handful of mentos candies into a bottle of diet soda, you are breaking the carbon dioxide and water bonds in a very speedy way, thus resulting in a quick and explosive release of carbon dioxide gas. And when you channel this release just right, you can create your very own projectile in the form of a soda and mentos bottle rocket.   Instructions For Building A Soda Mentos Rocket Learn how to make your very own explosive STEM project - the soda bottle rocket! Roughly 6 inches worth of 1/2 inch PVC pipe Roughly 5 inches worth of 3/4 inch PVC pipe One 3/4 inch to 1/2 inch adapter 1-inch ball valve Two (minimum) bottles of diet coke (one is empty) Mentos candies Good plastic epoxy Gluing equipment (stick/cardboard/gloves, etc) Files and sandpaper Instructions Take the lid of your empty soda bottle and using your drill, drill out the other end so only the threads for screwing on remain and there is no longer a top to your lid. Sand down your 1/2 inch pipe as needed so it fits snugly within an empty soda bottle. Put a handful of mentos (4-5) into the ball valve and then close the valve so they cannot get back out. Take a full bottle of diet soda and remove the lid. Screw a full soda bottle onto the other end of the ball valve. Make sure your seal is tight or your bottle won't blast off! Recommended Products As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. Did you try this yourself? Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Facebook The image below gives you an idea of what your rocket launcher should look like. Ignore the soda in the top bottle. This image was taken of a failed attempt. Our seal wasn’t tight enough so instead of exploding, we just made a mess. Future attempts worked better. Make sure your seal is tight! If you prefer to learn from video format, you can watch the videos below for more visual and auditory instructions on building your DIY mentos rocket. What Happens If You Eat Mentos and Coke? While consuming Mentos and Coke together may seem dangerous due to the results of our experiment, it’s important to note that the reaction between the two substances is unlikely to occur in the human stomach. The MythBusters television show conducted an experiment to test the idea that the reaction between Mentos and Coke can occur in the stomach. They mixed Coke and stomach acid in a glass, then added Mentos to see if the same reaction would occur as when the two substances are mixed outside the body. They found that the reaction did not occur in the glass. You can watch that episode here: However, it’s still not a good idea to consume large amounts of Mentos and Coke. Both Mentos and Coke contain high amounts of sugar and other additives, which can lead to health issues such as obesity, diabetes, and dental problems when consumed in excess. In addition, consuming large amounts of Mentos and Coke can lead to discomfort, bloating, and even abdominal pain due to the buildup of gas and pressure within the stomach. It’s important to remember that while the Mentos and Coke reaction can be a fun and exciting science experiment, it’s not safe to consume large amounts of either substance. Encourage children to enjoy the reaction as a demonstration and not as a snack. Moderation, people! Videos to Learn How to Build a Mentos and Coke Rocket   This first video shows the components needed to build the soda bottle rocket launcher. The second video quickly walks you through how to put the components together to build your very own DIY mentos rocket. Don’t feel badly if you have to make any attempts before you have a working model. We followed some pretty clear instructions and we still had several failed experiments before it finally worked. That’s part of the STEM fun! We had a lot of fun with our soda bottle rocket, and I hope you do too! This is a great STEM activity for teens that the whole family will love. Free Printable Exploding STEM Project Want a free project sample? Sign up to have one of the projects sent to you so you can get an idea of the type of experiment guides you’ll get in our STEM Made Easy Digital Subscription! Related Posts: Independence Day STEM Activities Everyday STEAM Activities For Kids October STEAM Fun The Benefits of STEM Education Recent Posts 4 Tips to Keep Your Kids Stimulated for School at Home - August 12, 2024 Free Unit Study Planner - August 12, 2024 5 Back To Homeschool Tips For The Best Year Ever - August 10, 2024 Saturday 30th of July 2022 Can you reuse the pvc devise again and again? would you recommend using pvc primer and cement at all or just try the epoxy glue? I'm nervous about the idea of having to evenly sand the pvc pipe so that it fits snuggly. Will this really work? Charlene Hess Monday 1st of August 2022 Yes you can resue the PVC again and again! We've held onto ours for quite a while and buy another few bottles of soda and some mentos to repeat the project several times. The Wow factor is the same even more than a year after making the device. Yes, PVC primer and cement should work the same way. Your goal is an air-tight seal so the reaction can build up. If you can get an air-tight seal with PVC primer and cement then by all means, go for it! We just found it easier for kids to use epoxy glue than primer and cement. Plus the epoxy was more forgiving with a subpar sanding job (again, all part of working with kids). You have successfully subscribed to the newsletter There was an error while trying to send your request. Please try again. 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!   5 CRAZY COCA COLA EXPERIMENTS Introduction: 5 CRAZY COCA COLA EXPERIMENTS Awesome experiments with the number one soda in the world! Step 1: The Effect Coke Has on Your Teeth In theory an egg shell works similar to the enamel found on your teeth. Grab a can of Coke, an empty jar, and one delicate egg. Place the egg within the jar and pour the coke over the egg. Store the jar in a safe place for one day. Once twenty four hours have passed, open the jar and pour the soda into a bowl slowly, leaving the egg in the jar. Gently remove the egg from the jar and examine what the soda has done to the shell. Remember the egg represents the enamel on your teeth! Step 2: Coke & Bleach In this experiment use a 16.9 oz bottle of coke. Open the bottle and fill it to the top with bleach. Note: Label the bottle or store it in a place no one will drink it! Seriously DO NOT DRINK IT! The process is slow but again wait for twenty four hours to pass and come back to a surprise! Step 3: Cleaning Pennies Grab five old pennies before the year 1982, and one current penny. Fill five glasses with the following - bleach / rubbing alcohol / vinegar / lime juice / coke. Place one penny in each glass. After one day remove each penny and see which one comes close to matching the shiny current penny. Coke is the winner! Step 4: How Much Sugar Is in a Can of Coke? This is a messy experiment after all is done, so if you can, grab a pot that has one handle out the door. Pour a can of Coke into the pot and turn the burner on to bring the contents to a boil. All the water will evaporate leaving only the sugar content behind. Use a spoon to collect the sugar since it will be too hot for your hand to touch. Average intact of sugar for a day is 24g - 36g depending on your gender. A can of coke has 39g! Step 5: Coke & Milk Coke and Milk are both acidic but Coke is more so. Use a 16.9 oz bottle of coke and open the bottle to fill the bottle to the top with milk. This is also a slow process but after a day you can see the breakdown of the protein in milk, which has been curdled at the bottom of the bottle! ❤Please subscribe to my channel. It's absolutely free❤!!!! You can also find us at: YouTube // ( more videos ) Instagram // ( @reelheat ) Twitter // ( tweet us ) Facebook // ( be our friend ) Recommendations Microcontrollers Contest Outdoor Life Contest Art and Sculpture Contest 5 coolest experiments involving Coca-Cola How to perform cool experiments with cola at home Safe­ty pre­cau­tions Don’t drink the Coca-Cola used in any ex­per­i­ments! Ob­serve safe­ty pre­cau­tions when work­ing with heat­ing de­vices. Reagents and equip­ment bleach (15% so­lu­tion sodi­um hypochlo­rite); a rusty tool; fry­ing pans; Step-by-step in­struc­tions Diet Coke and Men­tos erup­tion Toss a Men­to into a bot­tle of Diet Coke. Ob­serve the re­lease of gas and for­ma­tion of a spout of foam . Coca-Cola and milk Pour 50 mL Coca-Cola into 30 mL milk . Ob­serve as the milk cur­dles and the so­lu­tion pales. Coca-Cola and rust Let a rusty tool sit in 150 mL Coca-Cola for 5 hours. Re­move it from the so­lu­tion, wipe it off with a pa­per tow­el, and pay at­ten­tion to the dis­ap­pear­ance of the rust. Cola and bleach Add 20 mL bleach (15% so­lu­tion sodi­um hypochlo­rite) to 50 mL Coca-Cola. Ob­serve as the mix­ture pales. How much sug­ar does Cola con­tain? Pour 200 mL of clas­sic Coca-Cola onto a fry­ing pan. Heat un­til all the liq­uid evap­o­rates. Re­peat the ex­per­i­ment in a sec­ond fry­ing pan us­ing Diet Coke. No­tice the large quan­ti­ty of black tar from the clas­sic Coca-Cola. Process de­scrip­tion Men­tos have a rough sur­face, which aids the for­ma­tion of a large amount of car­bon diox­ide gas from the Coca-Cola on its sur­face. Food ad­di­tives in the Cola and Men­tos con­trib­ute to the for­ma­tion of a large quan­ti­ty of foam. Milk con­sists main­ly of pro­teins, fats, mi­croele­ments, and wa­ter. When Coca-Cola is added, the phos­phor­ic acid it con­tains forces the milk to cur­dle. Mean­while, the form­ing clots of pro­teins drag col­or­ing mol­e­cules with them, caus­ing the mix­ture to pale. Rust con­sists most­ly of iron(III) ox­ide, and de­vel­ops on iron ob­jects due to hu­mid air or house­hold chem­i­cals. But it’s no prob­lem for clas­sic Coca-Cola! A rusty tool left in Coca-Cola will be thor­ough­ly cleaned from the unattrac­tive tar­nish. This hap­pens thanks to the phos­phor­ic acid in Coca-Cola, which dis­solves the iron(III) ox­ide. 2H₃PO₄ + Fe₂O₃ = 2Fe­PO₄ + 3H₂O Bleach con­tains sodi­um hypochlo­rite, which is a strong ox­i­diz­ing agent and eas­i­ly ox­i­dizes the col­or­ing mol­e­cules in the Coca-Cola, caus­ing it to pale. The main in­gre­di­ents of clas­sic Cola are sug­ar and wa­ter. As the wa­ter evap­o­rates, the mix­ture thick­ens and forms a black mass re­sem­bling tar, which main­ly con­sists of caramelized sug­ar. Diet Coke con­tains sug­ar sub­sti­tutes in­stead of reg­u­lar sug­ar. These sub­sti­tutes are much sweet­er than sug­ar – even be­ing added in tiny amounts, they make the drink ev­ery bit as sweet as the clas­sic ver­sion. As a re­sult, we see a much small­er amount of residue than in clas­sic Cola. Dozens of experiments you can do at home One of the most exciting and ambitious home-chemistry educational projects The Royal Society of Chemistry 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 300 IMAGES Science Experiment Mentos In A Coke Bottle 2 AMAZING COCA COLA SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS Experiment: Coca Cola and Mentos in a Bottles Coke vs Diet Coke Experiment Mentos and Coke Experiment 10 science experiments involving Coke you need to see to believe COMMENTS Coke and Mento Experiment Coke and Mentos Experiment You'll need: Coke or other fizzy soda. Mentos. Instructions . We dropped two Mentos into a bottle of normal Cola and Diet Cola. I used the cheapest brands available in our local supermarket. Once you drop the Mentos into the coke, stand back as it's VERY explosive. The trick is to drop the mento in as fast as you can. Mentos and Coke Experiment The Mentos And Coke Volcano Experiment. Now it's time to actually run the experiment, but first, we need to make a hypothesis. The Hypothesis. The scientific method is an important way scientists make observations and come to conclusions.. Part of the scientific method is making a prediction called a hypothesis.. Write down what you think will happen when placing the Mentos in the soda bottles. Mentos Geyser Experiment Start by opening the cold bottle and dipping the thermometer into the soda. Record the temperature. Load seven Mentos into your Geyser Tube and drop them into the soda and immediately record the data. Repeat the same procedure for the bottle of soda at room temperature and then again for the bottle of warm soda. Mentos and Diet Coke Experiment 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. Diet Coke and Mentos Soda Geyser 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; ... 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 ... Erupting Mentos and Coke Experiment Expand the Mentos and Coke Experiments. Test cups, bottles, and vases of different shapes (wide at the bottom but narrow at the top, cylindrical, or directly in the soda bottles) to test whether the width of the cup makes a difference in how high the foam will shoot. Design unique ways for dropping the candy into the soda. Mentos and Coke Experiment: How-To Plus Free Worksheet This video shows how to do the Mentos and Coke experiment using just a few simple ingredients and supplies. Materials Needed. To do the Mentos and Coke experiment, you will need: A roll or box of mint-flavored Mentos; 2-liter bottle of Coca-Cola (aka Coke) Sheet of paper to roll into a tube OR pre-made geyser tube; Tape Erupting Diet Coke® with Mentos® Carefully remove the cap from the bottle 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. Place your full cartridge on top of the flat index card. Cool Science Experiment Find out more information and check out other cool science experiments at http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/00000109 Here's the original Mentos ... Coke® & Mentos® The Diet Coke and Mentos experiment (shown in action in Figure 1 below) is all over the Internet, but how does it work? ... Remove the used Diet Coke bottle and set it aside. Do not pour out the remaining soda yet! Use the permanent marker to label the bottle with the trial number, and whether it was used with whole or crushed Mentos candies. ... How to Make a Volcano out of Mentos and Soda (with Pictures) Purchase Diet Coke in a 2 liter (0.53 US gal) bottle. You can try this with various forms of soda, but a 2 liter (0.53 US gal) bottle of Diet Coke will have the most dramatic explosion, often rising more than 10 feet (3 m) in the air. If you want to have a smaller explosion, consider buying a smaller bottle, such as a 20 oz bottle. How to Make a Diet Coke and Mentos Rocket (with Pictures) 1. Gather your materials. Bring your 2-liter bottle of Diet Coke, your pack of Mentos, your masking tape, and your safety goggles to wherever you've decided to build your rocket. You can use any type of Coke for this project (Diet, Original, Zero, etc.). 2. Cut 2 4-inch (10.2-centimeter) strips of masking tape. Mentos and Diet Coke! 1. Very slowly and carefully, open a new bottle of colorless soda. 2. Tilt the cup and slowly pour the soda down the inside of the cup to make as few bubbles as possible. 3. Place a straw in the soda and look at the straw from the side. 4. Take the straw out of the soda and put a pipe cleaner in. Look from the side to see if bubbles also form ... Coke and Mentos Experiment By creating a mentos tower, the kids can drop all of the mentos in at once. 2. Place your bottle of coke in a large tub. Once again the tub is optional and is only used to help clean up afterwards. If you prefer, you can do this experiment outside on the grass. Just make sure that your outdoor area has a flat surface you can use. Spurting Science: Erupting Diet Coke with Mentos 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 ... Mentos and 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 ... DIY Soda Explosion How to Create the Geyser. Step 1: Remove the lid from the Diet Coke and set it the bottle of soda on a flat surface. Step 2: Roll the paper into a tube around a pack of Mentos mints, tape it into place and pull it off of the roll of mints. Step 3: Hold your finger over one end of the paper tube and have your child fill it up with Mentos mints. Diet Coke and Mentos Eruption 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 ... EPIC Mentos and Soda Science Experiment Even your reluctant learner will get excited to try this easy science experiment where you will product a HUGE erruption!In this classic Mentos and Soda Experiment you will mix a couple simple materials to produce a chemical reaction. This mentos in Coke project is a MUST TRY for kids of all ages from preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, and 4th graders too. Mentos and Coke: How To Build A Soda Mentos Rocket Sand down your 1/2 inch pipe as needed so it fits snugly within an empty soda bottle. Put a handful of mentos (4-5) into the ball valve and then close the valve so they cannot get back out. Take a full bottle of diet soda and remove the lid. Put the 1/2 inch pipe into the empty bottle of diet soda. Mentos and Coke/Cola 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 ... 5 CRAZY COCA COLA EXPERIMENTS 5 CRAZY COCA COLA EXPERIMENTS: Awesome experiments with the number one soda in the world! Projects Contests Teachers 5 CRAZY COCA COLA EXPERIMENTS. By ReelHeat in Living Education. 68,733 ... Use a 16.9 oz bottle of coke and open the bottle to fill the bottle to the top with milk. This is also a slow process but after a day you can see the ... 5 coolest experiments involving Coca-Cola Toss a Men­to into a bot­tle of Diet Coke. Ob­serve the re­lease of gas and for­ma­tion of a spout of foam. Coca-Cola and milk. Pour 50 mL Coca-Cola into 30 mL milk. Ob­serve as the milk cur­dles and the so­lu­tion pales. Coca-Cola and rust. Let a rusty tool sit in 150 mL Coca-Cola for 5 hours. With Purple Gold and Bouncy Metal, a Canadian Chemist Shines on YouTube The Coke was from Mexico, where the drink is made not with high-fructose corn syrup as it is in the United States, but with cane sugar — which is what his experiment would extract. essay homework paper phd project resume review speech study thesis