Why a can of diet coke float in the water but a can of regular coke sink in the water?

Question

I want to see which can of soda has more density, so i put each of the soda in a pitcher half filled with water. As a result, the can of diet soda floated in the water and the regular soda sank in the water. So it mean the the can of regular has more density then the diet one. However, the volumn of water in the pitcher went up to same level for both can of soda. I want to know why one float and other sink but the volumn of water in the pitcher is the same for both can of soda? So which can has more density? If one has more density than the other , then why the the volumn of water is the same for both can?

Answer 1

I'm not convinced that the density differences between regular and diet are solely responsible for your observations.

There can be some variation in the actual volume sealed in the two cans. In other words one can may have a little more coke in it when it was sealed. This may also be a process variation where as mentioned more CO2 in in one type vs the other. However extra carbonation would make it more likely to have more coke bubble out of the can as its filled and before it is sealed causing all diet coke to be a little lighter due to a slightly smaller amount of coke.
I would repeat the experiment using a resealable container which can be filled 100% or at least to exact same volume

I would also weigh two sample and compare densities.

My gut read is that the sugar in regular coke would make that formulation denser that the diet which uses an artificial sweetner.

Answer 2

Perhaps it is a matter of the amount of carbonation in each can. If the diet coke is more heavily carbonated it might have less actual weight. Have you tried weighing each can separately? Did you put both cans in the pitcher in exactly the same way? If you placed the bottom of the coke can in first and set the diet coke on its side you may have dispersed the weight more evenly on the second allowing it to float. Just some thoughts, I wasn't there so I don't know the actual answer but suggest there may be more to experiment with.

Answer 3

its all approximately density. The density of the severe Fructose Corn syrup that flavors standard coke is greater dense then the synthetic sweetner in weight loss software coke. This density difference make the comparable quantity of regualr coke to be heavier and sink.

Answer 4

Its all about density. The density of the excessive Fructose Corn syrup that flavors average coke is more dense then the unreal sweetner in weight-reduction plan coke. This density difference make the same quantity of regualr coke to be heavier and sink.

Answer 5

They both have the same volume, but not the same mass, obviously. Remember, Density = Mass/Volume.