What causes the reaction: the arabic gum in the mentos allows the surface tension of the liquid to be broken more easily, allowing the carbon dioxide trapped in the bubbles to be released very quickly which creates the pressure for the explosion.
What is carbon dioxide: a colorless, odorless, incombustible gas.
Carbon dioxide is the reason for the explosion that was caused during the experiment. If there wasn't any carbon dioxide in the diet coke then there would have been no explosion or reaction.
2007-03-24 14:04:36 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
The porosity of the mentos candy provides opportunites for nucleation of the carbon dioxide gas that is in the liquid. By providing a nulceation point, the gas is released from the bonds of the liquid. This is more agressive in diet coke because the lack of sugars, which help maintain the bond of the gas to the liquid.
2007-03-24 14:10:32 · answer #1 · answered by duckredbeard 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
True. No reaction should have occurred since there was not carbon dioxide .
If it did explode, then then the reaction must have been caused by other element present in the mix.
Here, I looked up nucleation ( formation of bubble from liquid)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucleation
2007-03-24 21:10:21 · answer #2 · answered by Georgie 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I assume you added a Mentos in a carbonated bevarage?...The resulting spray is called nucleation (The forming of bubbles on a porous substance)
2007-03-24 21:15:33 · answer #3 · answered by GregK 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's called nucleation (sp?)
2007-03-24 21:07:27 · answer #4 · answered by ryee40007 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋