What type of chemical reaction is Coke and Mentos?

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. Their explanation is this process called nucleation. All the carbon dioxide in the soda – all that fizz – is squeezed into the liquid and looking for a way out.

What is the chemical reaction in soda?

The fizz that bubbles up when you crack open a can of soda is carbon dioxide gas (CO2). Soft drink manufacturers add this tingling froth by forcing carbon dioxide and water into your soda at high pressures—up to 1,200 pounds per square inch.

What are the reactants of Coke and Mentos?

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!

What is the chemical composition of Mentos?

The surfactants in Mentos are found in its ingredients. Primarily, the sugar, aspartame and potassium benzoate included in the candy shell reduce the work it takes to form bubbles in the soda, causing a rapid creation of carbon dioxide bubbles.

What chemicals are in soda?

Soft drinks typically contain carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup (sugar), caramel color, caffeine, phosphoric acid, citric acid, natural flavors, carbon dioxide, organic diol, and Brominated vegetable oil (BVO), in addition to many others (Leis-Keeling, 2010).

What is the science behind Mentos and soda?

A Mentos dropped into a bottle of soda acts as a surfactant, meaning it reduces the surface tension of the soda. Water molecules are polar and attracted to each other. Anything that breaks them apart allows for bubbles of carbon dioxide gas to form in the solution.

How is Mentos and Coke a physical reaction?

Since the addition of Mentos is just speeding up a physical process (i.e. the carbon dioxide gas coming out of solution), the reaction is a physical reaction. This is a state change for the carbon dioxide gas from being dissolved in Coke to a gaseous state.

What evidence did the team find that the reaction between the Mentos and soda was a physical change?

Coke and Mentos. Mixing Coke and Mentos looks like a chemical change, but since the gas released is carbon dioxide AND it was present before the foaming happened, it is actually a physical change.

Is soda a pure substance?

All elements are pure substances. Sugar, salt, and baking soda are pure substances that are compounds.

Why does soda react to Mentos?

Mentos react with Diet Coke because their rough surfaces provide suitable sites for rapid growth of carbon dioxide bubbles, according to Mental Floss magazine. The bubbles’ buoyancy coupled with their rapid growth, causes them to rise to the surface, resulting in an eruption of foamy diet soda.

What is the hypothesis of soda and Mentos?

Hypothesis. Hypothesis: The Diet Coke and Mentos are going to make a chemical reaction causing many bubbles to form because the chemicals and ingredients in the Coke and Mentos react to each other (like baking soda and vinegar).

Why does Mentos make soda Fizz?

Mentos makes soda fizz due to the Mentos breaking the bonds in water molecules and encouraging the growth of more carbon dioxide gas, which is used to carbonate sodas.

What is the reaction of coke and Mentos?

A soda geyser (alternatively Diet Coke and Mentos geyser or Mentos eruption) is a reaction between the carbonated beverage Diet Coke and Mentos mints that causes the beverage to spray out of its container.