Coke + Mentos = "teh Fun!"

[Taiphun]

This looks like fun........

Originally Posted by http://www.wltx.com/fyi/fyi.aspx?storyid=30567
*** WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN? ***

....Soda get its fizz from a gas known as carbon dioxide. When the carbon dioxide is pumped into the soda, water molecules cling to the gas and create tiny bubbles of gas in the liquid. The force holding the gas inside the water is known as surface tension.

.....It takes a lot of energy to break the surface tension inside soda, but most of you have probably done this by dropping a can and opening it shortly afterwards.

.....Mentos contains a chemical known as ARABIC GUM (this is the ingredient that makes the mint "chewy"). This ingredient causes the surface tension of the water molecules to break even more easily, releasing more carbon dioxide gas at an astounding rate!

.....The gas causes pressure to rapidly build inside the bottle which thrusts the soda upwards in a wonderful fountain-like BLAST!

.....As most know, like a melting popsicle, melted sugar is VERY STICKY! Try to use DIET soda (or any other carbonated beverage that does NOT contain sugar), otherwise you'll be running for the shower!

Link

Anyone ever tried it?

[that_staples_guy]

I'll try it at the ol' Staples tomorrow, in the lunchroom. We sell both Coke and Mentos there.

[[H]ackerK]

Great. I have a hugh pile of mentos from the last promo...

[[H]ackerK]

BTW, if I use Soda Water, would it be less sticky/mess? it should have the same effect (just less sugar) unless they put less CO2 in it...

[plan b]

I'm sooooooo trying this.

[sPiKyAZN]

OH man this is so cool!

I wonder what would happen if you sealed the top right away....

[d_jedi]

OK, so next time at the store gotta pick up:
- Skittles and a 6 pack - to make Skittlebrau (Simpsons reference, duh)
- Mentos and coke
..

sweet.

[P__S__2]

im gonna have to try this.

[rafiki]

yup I've done/seen this done may times before for work...great science experiment for kids.

Use diet soda as it's less sticky. I find that diet coke works the best out of all the pop we have used. It's hard to drop them all in at the same time, so make sure you have them lined up before you drop them in because you only have about 0.5 of a second to get them all in there before it shoots up. 3 or 4 mentos is sufficient and a 2L pop shoots up from the height of a table to the roof (therefore you should do this outside).

Wintergreen lifesavers also work. A cool effect (although I've never done it before) is to use soda water and black lights (as it glows)

Oh and if you're wondering what the effect of chugging a small bottle of pop and swallowing mentos is.....well it's quite funny. You feel like you're going to puke and you burp lots...and usually one very big long burb that makes the coolest sound in your windpipe. I didn't do it, but a friend did. LOL

[stevethewheel]

If you get in a very dark room you can also crush them and they will make light.

[hyperion]

nice im gnna try that

[haotj]

i tired coke/tic tac before, pretty cool too
mint flavored coke, now that's an idea!

[jEnkinsX]

have u guys ever tried water and dry ice? drop a huge chunk into a bottle of water.. seal it and shake it until it explodes lol.. i tried it before in high school.. it made a round water bottle to a square lol.. but i had to throw it out coz i got scared.. but i saw a video where some dude was holding it and it exploded and he cut himself pretty bad :s

but the mentos and coke is pretty aweseome!

OH man this is so cool!

I wonder what would happen if you sealed the top right away....

thats what i was thinkin too!

[rafiki]

OH man this is so cool!

I wonder what would happen if you sealed the top right away....

probably nothing. These bottles are made to hold extreme pressure...no extra pressure is release/created (i.e. unlike dry ice...which makes a huge bang / can shoot across almost a field almost taking off the head of friend...), therefore the bottle should hold.

[sxz]

I think you would need lightning-fast reflexes to be able to even put the cap over the bottom before it gushes out all of its sugary insides.