Mentos and Diet Coke

[Muffin]

Who knew? I am dying to try this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKoB0MHVBvM&mode=related&search=

 

[PixieDust32]

Yup! The Mythbusters did it too and it looks like fun.

 

[golfgal]

DS14 did that in science class last year then came home and did it in our backyard. It is GREAT fun.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I saw it on Mythbuster's too...Was anyone watching last night? AACK..."the smelly car"...that was certainly gross.

 

[PixieDust32]

I didn't watched last night, it was a re run. Was that the one about corvett with the pig inside?

 

[ChrisFL]

I didn't watched last night, it was a re run. Was that the one about corvett with the pig inside?

no it wasnt a rerun, though I only caught the end of it

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Yes, it was with the pig. That was nasty but cracking me up at the same time.

 

[PixieDust32]

Yes, it was with the pig. That was nasty but cracking me up at the same time.

Oh yes I remember. It was hilarious They had to clean the car, it was disgusting.

 

[Southern4sure]

We love mythbusters. To those who didnt see the episode...only diet coke works.

 

[GoofieRuthie]

LOL, I found those videos on Youtube and wondered if anyone here and seen them or tried it. Did they happen to explain WHY this happens? And why only Diet Coke??? I have to admit that it looks so fun.

 

[PixieDust32]

LOL, I found those videos on Youtube and wondered if anyone here and seen them or tried it. Did they happen to explain WHY this happens? And why only Diet Coke??? I have to admit that it looks so fun.

it's a process called "nucleation," in which the particular chemistry of the Mentos candy interacts with the chemistry of the carbonated Diet Coke, causing the carbon dioxide gas, or CO2, to suddenly come out of suspension in the liquid and make a break for freedom.

But you have to have the right Mentos.

"The non-mint type," have a glaze on them, and they don't work at all. It only works with the mint ones, because they have a matte finish. That surface serves as these little portals for the gas to escape through."

 

[golfgal]

It works with regular coke but it is not as spectacular.

 

[PixieDust32]

Yup, sugar molecules are very large, and that doesn't allow this to happen as quickly. That's the key. Sugar is gooey and sticky even though it doesn't seem that way when it's in a soda, but there's a lot in there and it helps hold onto the CO2 a lot better.

On the other hand, sweetness of no kind natural or artificial, results in a disappointing fizzle.

 

[tkd lisa]

The mythbusters episode broke down all the science. Nucleation seems to be the BIGGEST components, but there were others.

According to their research (and my faulty memory), prime influences were:

Carbon dioxide (the fizzy part of the soda)
Aspertame (artificial sweetner)
caffeine
nucleation (basicallly, the microscopic bumps that give footholds for the bubbles to grow on)

In that episode, they played around with all the ingredients and managed to make a 2 liter bottle shoot up over 30 feet high.

And yes, my kids are mythbuster junkies!

 

[PixieDust32]

 

[Muffin]

But you have to have the right Mentos.

"The non-mint type," have a glaze on them, and they don't work at all. It only works with the mint ones, because they have a matte finish. That surface serves as these little portals for the gas to escape through."

Thanks for the info! I hope someone has Diet Cokes on sale this week.

 

[barkley]

if you like this kind of stuff do a web search under kid's science projects-there are some sites with awsome fun ones (and video clips). dd did the mento/coke one a couple of years ago at school (before it was widely known) to much success. there's another thats pretty cool involving making 'MONSTER PEEPS' with your microwave and 'just one small peep'-but i'm not willing to scrape melted peeps out of the microwave if we goof it up.

 

[Mom-to-3]

You will get a small reaction if you drop a mint mento into a can of soda. I'm thinking about taking a pack along to the next company picnic.