2006-06-14 23:59:55 · 15 answers · asked by sunsworth1975 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
There is a coating of natural gum on the surface of mentos which will reduce surface tension of liquids. Reducing the surface tension will force the release of the gas bubbles from the liquid pronto. A tube of mentos into a 2 litre bottle will produce an instant fountain around 5 metres high. Note - use diet coke - it's easier to clean up (not so sticky). Lots of web sites show videos of this.
2006-06-15 09:21:13 · answer #1 · answered by nr8209 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't think it's really a chemical reaction of any sort. The surface of the mint is quite rough. Thus there are nuclear sites for the bubbles of carbon dioxide to form on. This cause the air pressure in the bottle to increase due to the release of carbon dioxide from the carbonated drink, causing the bottle to explode. This is quite similar to putting ice into a glass of carbonate drink. And when you have champagne pour into your glass and you see bubbles is because of the dirt in the glass or linen of the cleaning cloth of the bartender or whoever causing there to be formation of nuclear sites for CO2 bubbles formation.
2006-06-15 10:04:48 · answer #2 · answered by wonght12 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Something in the Coca-Cola reacts with the sugar in the mint. My fiance once added Sugar to some cheap No-Sugar Lemonade and nearly took out the ceiling with the fountain of liquid!
2006-06-15 07:15:08 · answer #3 · answered by ehc11 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sugar certainly drives CO2 out of solution by competing for possession of the water.
I am not aware of whether any component of the mint acts as an inorganic catalyst or a carbonic anhydrase-type enzyme to speed the reaction H2CO3 > H2O + CO2
2006-06-15 20:00:11 · answer #4 · answered by x 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have seen a perfect example of this on b3ta.com. You can see a fountain display performed by 2 guys and several bottles of diet coke and mentos. Just click on the most recent newsletter. Beautiful.
2006-06-15 07:28:52 · answer #5 · answered by bearos3000 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because the coating on the outside of the sweet reacts with the cola to produce loads of carbon dioxcide, which therefore in a way makes it explode.
2006-06-15 07:11:29 · answer #6 · answered by vic6981 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no generally accepted reasoning for this, but it is most likely a reaction "...caused by carbon dioxide in the drink forming bubbles around the chalky surface of the mints..."
2006-06-15 07:08:30 · answer #7 · answered by Squirkey 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
when we mint in coke cola it does not explode
2006-06-15 07:05:05 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mentos in 7 up I think causes a fountain. Leave the lid off
2006-06-15 07:03:30 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
PROBABLY THE SODIUM BICARBONATE IN THE MINT THAT REACTS WITH THE CHEMICALS WITHIN THE COKE, THAT CAUSES THE REACTION.
TRY A SPOONFUL OF REAL ICE CREAM IN THE COKE.
2006-06-15 07:07:45 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋