Discover the science behind the explosive reaction between Diet Coke and Mentos in this kid-friendly explanation designed for 9-year-olds.
Have you ever seen a bottle of Diet Coke fizz up and explode when you drop in Mentos candies? It’s an exciting experiment, and there’s actually some cool science behind it! Let’s break it down step by step.
Diet Coke is a type of soda that contains lots of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas. This gas is what gives the soda its bubbles and fizz. When the CO2 is under pressure inside the sealed bottle, it stays dissolved in the liquid, making the soda taste fizzy and refreshing.
Mentos are small, round candies that have a smooth surface and a special texture. When you drop Mentos into Diet Coke, they disturb the liquid in a way that makes the CO2 gas in the soda come out of the liquid quickly. This happens because the surface of the Mentos has tiny pits and bumps that create lots of places for gas bubbles to form.
As the Mentos sink to the bottom of the bottle, they release lots of gas bubbles all at once. This creates a rapid buildup of pressure inside the bottle, and since the top is closed, the pressure keeps increasing. When it gets too high, the soda bursts out of the bottle in a spectacular explosion!
You might notice that Diet Coke works better than other sodas. This is because it contains less sugar and fewer ingredients that make the gas stick to the liquid, allowing the CO2 to escape more easily when you add the Mentos.
So, the next time you see the exciting explosion of Diet Coke and Mentos, you can wow your friends with the science behind it! It’s all about gas, bubbles, and a little bit of candy magic!