The activation energy for bubble nucleation (formation of bubbles) depends on where the bubble forms. https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14114-science-of-mentos-diet-coke-explosions-explained/. There are two major reasons for this discrepancy. This will happen because the dissolved CO2 will provide the most nucleation sites to come out of the solution. For each of the samples a (10m)2 image was acquired, and the root-mean-square (rms) roughness in the image was reported. What Will I Need For The Mentos And Coke Volcano? The Mentos mints then dropped into the soda. Beware of the 20-foot stream of soda that will erupt when you pull off this experiment. students used this simple device to monitor the kinetics of foam production in the Diet Coke and Mentos experiment and to draw conclusions about the system. For that reason, 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 candies into the 2-liter bottle. A Diet Coke and Mentos eruption (also known as a soda geyser) is a reaction between the carbonated beverage Diet Coke and Mentos mints that causes the beverage to be expelled from its container. Also thanks to my undergraduate summer research assistants for their hard work, including A.J. They both ended up having 1 oz out of 8 oz ounces leave the beaker and into the air around too. Fast-moving mentos create larger explosions while slow, powdered mentos create tiny ones (Muir, 2008). The video was titled Extreme Diet Coke & Mentos Experiments. Note that the contact angle for the aspartame and potassium benzoate solutions is less than the contact angle for pure water, indicating a decrease in the surface tension. WebThe Diet Coke and Mentos geyser experiment became an internet sensation in September 2005. Making science accessible and fun for youth. All fizz shooting out in one strong plume. What is the conclusion of Coke and Mentos? [3][11][12] In March 2002, Steve Spangler, a science educator, did the demonstration on KUSA-TV, an NBC affiliate, in Denver, Colorado. Conclusion Hypothesis: In the experiment I expect the Pepsi and Mentos reaction to be at least 30cm in height, however, I expect it to be short lived due to the fact that the sodium level of the beverage is only 10 mg. As the molecules move faster, they diffuse out of the liquid, leaving less gas dissolved in that liquid. Science Fair Project: The Diet Coke and Mentos Explosion St. Helens and Mt. What is the hypothesis for the Diet Coke and Mentos experiment? With 5 or 6 mentos the explosion went only 330 and 310 cm high. The blend of Coke Zero and Mentos just works out the strongest. When you open the container, the bubbles quickly rise to the top, pushing the liquid out of the way, so liquid sprays everywhere. Bubble nucleation and growth in carbonated beverages almost always occur by heterogeneous nucleation: diffusion of carbon dioxide into pre-existing bubbles within the beverage. Metastable Liquids: Concepts and Principles. Search for other works by this author on: Mentos and the scientific method: A sweet combination. The hypothesis was that if unaltered mentos were dropped into coke, then they would create a more explosive reaction than any of the altered mentos. Be prepared: the eruption happens quickly, so back up fast! Youll need lots of soda and Mentos, as well as a few friends to help record all of the data. The measured contact angles and minimum works for bubble formation are given in Table IV. Hypothesis: If the amount of soda in the bottle decreases, then the height of the plume and velocity of the liquid will also decrease because there will less liquid with which the Mentos can react. Within seconds of dropping the candies into the soda, a huge geyser would erupt from the bottle. Lee Marek and Mareks Kid Scientists performed the Diet Coke and Mentos experiment on the Late Show with David Letterman in 1999. There really arent that many supplies you need to make a mentos and coke volcano. Using any more than seven Mentos mints is just a waste, according to these soda-soaked science enthusiasts. Instead of Mentos mints candy, however, they used a roll of Wintergreen LifeSavers and a pipe cleaner. Mentos and Diet Coke experiment works with any soda Thanks also to Guichuan Hou and Phil Russell for their help in acquiring the SEM images, and to Donovan Leonard for his help in acquiring some of the AFM images. Make your Mentos drop easier and your geyser spray higher with the Geyser Tube! [20][30] It has also been suggested that the more stable foams observed in diet sodas as compared to regular sodas could contribute to the taller geysers observed in diet sodas. If the bubbles must travel farther through the liquid, the reaction will be more explosive. The classic baking soda and vinegar acid-base reaction produces unstable carbonic acid that rapidly decomposes into water and carbon dioxide, which escapes as a gas. We found that the max amount of mentos with the largest explosion was 4 mentos, it went 350 cm high. This will work on any drink that is carbonated. We found that the Diet CokeMint Mentos reaction lasted 3.8s, the Diet CokeFruit Mentos reaction lasted 3.6s, and the Diet CokeWint-o-Green reaction lasted 4.9s. We constructed a bottle stand (roughly 10 off vertical) to prevent the bottles from tipping over and the liquid from falling back into the bottle. However, scientists are finding that theres more to this spectacular demonstration than meets the eye. [2][10][23][24] When dissolved gas diffuses into bubbles that already exist in a liquid, it is called Type IV bubble nucleation. This must been coined as the Pepsi Paradox. The dependent variable is the the Diet Coke with the mentos because it depends on the mentos to have a chemical response. We examined the reaction between Diet Coke and samples of Mint Mentos, Fruit Mentos, a mixture of Dawn Dishwashing detergent and water, playground sand, table salt, rock salt, Wint-o-Green Lifesavers, a mixture of baking soda and water, liquid gum arabic, and molecular sieve beads (typically found in sorption pumps). Now, its time to run away. Observe the eruptionheight, trajectory, duration, etc. [Full Guide] - Cool The places where the bubbles form are the nucleation sites. It needs to be wide enough to use as loader for the Mentos. Mentos Experiment Coca Cola and Mentos Experiment | Kids Coke Experiment | Kids TV It is the classic Diet Coke and Mentos "geyser" experiment, but with the added rigor of using the scientific method to answer the question "Which will cause a larger reaction: the sugar in regular Coke or the aspartame in Diet Coke?" After this, two interested scientists from the entertainment company EepyBird, Fritz Grobe and Stephen Voltz decided to post a Youtube video demonstrating this experiment and it went viral, gaining 120 million views. Why is the Coke and Mentos Experiment important? The pressurized conditions of the bottle and the surface tension of the water keep the gas in solution, even though it wants to escape (the gas that escapes makes the fizzy sound you hear when you open the bottle) (Science Buddies, 2012). To maintain consistency we also constructed a tube to fit over the mouth of the bottle and a delivery mechanism for the solid materials. These claims are also supported by data from the liquid gum arabic trials. ERIC - EJ1240905 - Kinetic Modeling of and Effect of Candy Coke possesses been which preferred mark through all other coke, spite one preference for Pepsi in blind taste tests. As they say, the rest is history. Do they make motorcycle helmets for kids? Mentos-Diet Coke Explosions Explained Our AFM measurements show that the rms roughness of the Fruit and Mint Mentos surfaces are comparable (see Table V). With everything you need to set up your own science lab anywhere, the Amazing Scientist Chemistry Kit is a fantastic introduction to the world of science. Conclusion: The more mentos you put in a bottle of pop does not necessarily mean a larger explosion. The only variable youll change in this test is the brand of soda; everything else will remain the same. [1][14][17] Tonya Coffey, a physicist at Appalachian State University, suggested that aspartame in diet drinks lowers the surface tension in the water and causes a bigger reaction, but that caffeine does not accelerate the process. 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. Keep everything else the same, even the brand of soda. Its time to return to your launching site. Once your Mentos are lined up and ready to drop, its time for the fun to begin. This all boils down to the presence (or lack thereof) of sugar. The amount 54020g of mass was lost from the diet tonic water, 43020g of mass was lost from the tonic water, and 945g of mass from the seltzer water. The average distance traveled by the sodas spray during the explosion is given in Table II. We put 4 mentos pieces into the bottle of diet coke. As strange as it might sound, the Mentos Geyser Experiment never actually started out using Mentos chewy mints. They cited the gum arabic and gelatin in the Mentos, and the caffeine, potassium benzoate, and aspartame in Diet Coke as the main contributors to the explosive reaction. Everyone found their own method for quickly dropping the Mentos into the soda. Mentos It is clear from Table V that the roughness of the sample is a major contributor to the explosiveness of the reaction. Fortunately, the maker of Mentos (Perfetti Van Melle) also liked our Geyser Tube design. Regular Coke does not work with Mentos because the Diet Coke uses Aspartame instead of sugar, which regular Coke uses. The child who died from combining Mentos and Coca-Cola story is an updating of an older legend that began in 1979. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. The scale bar for (a) is 100m and for (b) is 20m. Grobe, F., & Voltz, S. The Science of Coke and Mentos. Mentos Lab Report - Google Docs This in turns means that the carbon dioxide gas is more rapidly released. The Diet Coke and Mentos reaction is a popular experiment or demonstration in part because it inspires students to wonder, and inquiry-driven labs and active-learning demonstrations on this reaction have been implemented. To compare two systems, we calculate a ratio of the works required for bubble formation: We used this technique to compare the work required for formation of a bubble in deionized water to other liquids, as summarized in Table IV. Can I use clear bottom plates for fluorescence? Observe and explain the Mentos and Diet Coke experiment. We compared dropping 16g of Mint Mentos into a 1l bottle of seltzer water (carbonated water), a 1l bottle of tonic water (carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, and quinine), and a 1l bottle of diet tonic water (carbonated water, citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, aspartame, potassium benzoate, and quinine). Mentos Geyser Experiment - Mentos & Coke Experiment - The Lab The temperature was 52 F. In this experiment, mentos caused a eruption in a 2-liter bottle of Diet Mountain Dew erupted, thus we concluded that diet Mountain Dew Carbon dioxide creates the bubbles in soda. In conclusion the hypothesis that the diet coke will have the greatest explosion because of the high level of CO2 gas contained in it was correct. While the reaction remains fairly the same regardless of what carbonated beverage you use for this experiment, diet sodas are usually more carbonated and fizzy compared to regular sodas. http://www.eepybird.com/featured-video/coke-and-mentos-featured-video/science-of-coke-mentos/. What did you observe when you put Mentos candy into the soda bottle? The parameter K changes with temperature, generally increasing as the temperature increases. My son chose this experiment for his 6th grade science fair project. Thats why its called a Baby Soda Bottle! The carbon dioxide attaches throughout the bead, increasing the amount of time over which the reaction occurs. The average amount of mass lost for the various combinations of soda and samples is given in Table I. students used this simple device to monitor the kinetics of foam production in the Diet Coke and Mentos experiment and to draw conclusions about the system. CYSF Thank you so much. In a sealed bottle of soda pop, the gas above the liquid in the bottle has a high partial pressure of carbon dioxide compared to the air we breathe. Pre-existing bubbles provide a way for the reaction to occur without requiring bubbles to form within the liquid itself (homogeneous nucleation). The basic science of the Coke and Mentos reaction is fairly straightforward. An impressive acid-base reaction can be generated by adding baking soda to Diet Coke. How many protons and electrons are present in Ba2+? He would like to know why does the shape and size of the mentos affect the outcome of the project. We also showed that samples which encounter less viscous drag and hence fall more quickly through the soda will cause a more explosive reaction. What is the dependent variable of Coke and Mentos? Conjure a magical genie inside a root beer bottle, awaken a thirsty ghost, use your amazing brainpower to read minds, and more. The sugar reduces the contact angle more than pure water and causes more mass to be lost from the seltzer during the reaction, but more mass is lost by the beverages with potassium benzoate and aspartame. 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. For the reaction between Diet Coke and the molecular sieve beads, the lower limit on the duration of this reaction was 12s, a much longer time than all of the other reactions. By the end of the 1990s, however, the manufacturer of Wintergreen LifeSavers increased the size of the mints (no one was ever certain why). 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. These bubbles rapidly expand and are [22] The foaming is aided by the presence of food additives such as potassium benzoate, aspartame, sugars, and flavorings in Diet Coke,[20] all of which influence the degree to which water can foam. As luck would have it, the solution to the problem was within arms reach of the Wintergreen LifeSavers in the candy aisle: Mentos chewy mint candies! [12][14] Spangler signed a licensing agreement with Perfetti Van Melle, the maker of Mentos, after inventing an apparatus aimed to make it easier to drop the Mentos into the bottle and produce a large soda geyser. WebSince which invention of cola, the gegner between Pepsi and Coca-Cola (i.e., Coke) has had in existence. A search on Google for Diet Coke and Mentos will return millions of hits, and YouTube has many home videos of this reaction. Conclusion: The more mentos you put in a bottle of pop does not necessarily mean a larger explosion. Unscrew soda and put safety goggles on. Then, observe, record and report the results. Diet Coke and Mentos: What is really behind this physical reaction Hall, Magdalena Jaramillo, Cully Little, and Zach Russell, and my graduate research assistant, Jon Jones. The lack of change in the pH supports the conclusion that the Mint MentosDiet Coke reaction is not an acid-base reaction. What is a good hypothesis for Mentos and Diet Coke? The goal is to drop all seven Mentos into the bottle of soda at the same time, which is trickier than you might think. First, we learned that the massive buildup of pressure occurs when carbonation causes bubbles to accumulate on the surface of the Mentos. Open the soda and place the index card over the bottle opening. However, you wont get the same effect from eating Mentos after drinking Coke. A large fountain of coke then comes rushing out, oftentimes multiple metres in the air, causing a sticky mess all over the place. This, in turn, allows the soda to form smaller bubbles that can retain its structure for longer due to the reduced surface area of the bubble. Prior to heating, the bottle was opened to release some of the internal pressure, and then closed again. If spectators were watching your exploits, someone is bound to yell out, Do it again! Thats exactly what youre going to do. Now its time to actually run the experiment,but first,we need to make a hypothesis. The seltzer and tonic water were not Coca-Cola products, and it was not possible to find seltzer and tonic water with the same expiration date as the Coke products. Only one trial was performed for each temperature. Where is the Savannah River nuclear plant? Its what happens when you put nothing in the soda. 5 and 6. The lower magnification images show large surface areas and small volumes, especially when compared to samples such as a Mentos, which is 12cm in diameter. The potassium benzoate and the aspartame are active ingredients in the Mint MentosDiet Coke reaction, but the aspartame likely contributes more to the reaction. The solution becomes supersaturated with carbon dioxide when the bottle is opened, and the pressure is released. Coke has a pH of 2.3 and it made intuitive sense that an acid-base reaction could explain the sudden explosion of sugar. The students designed the experiment, did almost all of the data acquisition, and disseminated their results in a poster session at our spring Research and Creative Endeavors Day at Appalachian State University. What is the independent variable in the Mentos experiment? Superabsorbent giant growing polymer beads that absorb 150 times their weight in water! Mentos The colorful nature of this chemistry experiment kit introduces your child to basic concepts of volume, measurement and chemical reactions in a safe, no-mess way. [27][28] Thus, the geyser reaction will still work even using sugared drinks, but diet is commonly used both for the sake of a larger geyser as well as to avoid having to clean up the stickier residue left by a sugared soda. What is the independent variable in the Mentos and Diet Coke experiment? Thus, adding Mentos candies to a carbonated beverage introduces millions of nucleation sites into the drink, which allows for degassing that is rapid enough to support a jet of foam out of a bottle. Within the next 12 months, over 800 Mentos Geyser Experiment-related videos were posted on YouTube, making the demo one of the most popular pop-culture science experiments in recent history. To get the best results in a science experiment, you will need to standardize the test conditions as much as possible. Why do Mentos turn ordinary bottles of diet soda into geysers of fun? Later on in the experiment, youll be invited to compare the geyser power of diet versus regular soda, but for now well start with a 2-liter bottle of diet soda. Invert the test tube, holding the cover in place. [17] This record was afterward beaten in November 2014 by another event organized by Perfetti Van Melle and Chupa Chups in Len, Guanajuato, Mexico, where 4,334 Mentos and soda fountains were set off simultaneously. Surface roughness has often been cited as the most important cause of the Diet CokeMentos reaction.13 Increased surface roughness implies a higher surface area to volume ratio, meaning that more growth sites should be present on per unit volume. Mentos and Coke Experiment How to Do It! EepyBird.com Entertainment for the Curious Mind. Hence it is the combination of a rough surface and the surfactant in the outer coating of the candy that causes the impressive reactions. It has also been shown that a wide variety of beverage additives such as sugars, citric acid, and natural flavors can also enhance fountain heights. It really only takes a few minutes to setup the mentos and coke volcano experiment. What effect does temperature have on the height of the geyser? Mentos We knew the Mentos Geyser Experiment was a popular experiment when a producer from ABCs Who Wants to Be a Millionaire called for help when writing a question. Learn more about how plants work with this cool celery experiment! 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. This chemistry science kit includes activities for solo and group experiments, making it a fantastic addition to your classroom or for fun at home. Hopefully, this article can help you finally place a scientific explanation behind this iconic and messy science experiment. Compare the contact angle results in Table V for pure water (=85), sugar water (=80), and aspartame dissolved in water (=77). These calculations are approximate, but are consistent with our results reported in Tables I and II. Mentos These ingredients accelerate the foaming action of the soda very quickly, causing the infamous explosion. What are the variables of the soda and Mentos experiment? What causes the explosion when Mentos are dropped into the Diet Coke? The question was asked on a special College Week episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. This chemistry science kit includes activities for solo and group experiments, making it a fantastic addition to your classroom or for fun at home. Today, all of that will be answered in our article down below! WebWith the Coke and mint mentos experiment, coke and fruit mentos were very similar as the coke and mint mentos took 31 seconds to complete the reaction while coke and fruit mentos took 22 seconds to complete in total. Mentos Conclusion: The Diet Coke reacted to the Mentos, which means the hypothesis was correct. Carbon dioxide is the chemical compound that consists of two oxygen atoms bonded to a carbon atom. ", "Orchestrated Chaos: A Mentos Tribute to Eepybird.com", About.com Chemistry page with instructions, "Watch Scientists Conduct the Mentos and Diet Coke Experiment at 14,000 Feet", "Diet Coke and Mentos: What is really behind this physical reaction? Also, the coating dissolves very rapidly in water, and so is not effective at preventing the growth of carbon dioxide bubbles. A 10% difference is comparable to the uncertainty in our experiments, and hence it is difficult to observe significant differences in the results for Diet Coke compared to Caffeine Free Diet Coke. It truly is the perfect chemistry kit for kids who want to explore. After a lot of debate, scientists are now saying that the primary cause of Coke & Mentos geysers is a physical reaction, not a chemical reaction. Once youve got your location squared away and your supplies gathered, carefully open the bottle of diet soda. This bread mold experiment will help your child learn about mold, and he'll develop important hypothesis-making and experiment-designing skills. In Table IV we assumed that LV was reduced by 5% for the second system compared to the deionized water (system 1). As the liquid is heated, the gas within that liquid is also heated, causing the gas molecules to move faster and faster. View the Mentos Geyser Experiment here!
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