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By: Brandon Shillady and Sean Stull. Mentos + Carbonated Beverage = ?. The Big Myth. When adding a piece of Mentos candy to a carbonated beverage, out of Carbonated Water, regular Coca Cola, or Diet Coke, Diet Coke should produce the largest reaction. Hypothesis.
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By: Brandon Shillady and Sean Stull Mentos + Carbonated Beverage = ?
The Big Myth When adding a piece of Mentos candy to a carbonated beverage, out of Carbonated Water, regular Coca Cola, or Diet Coke, Diet Coke should produce the largest reaction.
Hypothesis If we drop four uncoated Mint Mentos into 2-Liter bottles of Carbonated Water, Coca Cola, and Diet Coke, then the artificial sweetener of the Diet Coke will cause it to produce the highest eruption.
Background Info: Source 1 • 2 Factors Involved in Mentos & Soda Explosion • 1st Component = Soda • Provides a Key Reactant of CO2 • W/out CO2 from Soda, Bubbles that Form Explosion Would Not Be Formed • 2nd Component = Mentos Candy • Usually four Mentos Are Put in Each 2-Liter Bottle • This Reactant is Provides the Little Grooves that Form “Housings” to Form Bubbles • Bubbles Form in the Tiny Moon-Surface-Like Grooves on Original Mentos Candy Surface • Explosion Starts when Mentos Hit the Bottom of the Soda Bottle Muir, Hazel. "Science of Mentos & Diet Coke Explosions Explained." NewScientist: Physics & Math. Reed Business Information, 12 June 2008. Web. 02 May 2012. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14114-science-of-mentosdiet-coke-explosions-explained.html.
Background Info: Source 2 • Key Concepts: • Nucleation Sites • Phase Transition in a Small Region • Physical and Chemical Reactions • Solution • Carbon Dioxide » CO2 • Surface tension • Tests to Try During Experiment • Use Instead of Mentos: • Rock Salt • Pennies • Dice • Use Different Types of Mentos • Mint vs. Fruit • Uncoated vs. Coated • Use Instead of Mentos: • Rock Salt • Pennies • Dice • Use Different Types of Sodas • Regular Coca Cola • Diet Coca Cola • Carbonated Water (Seltzer / Soda Water) • Flavored Soda Agee, Sara. "Coke & Mentos - Nucleation Goes Nuclear!" Science Buddies. GuideStar, 23 May 2011. Web. 02 May 2012. http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/MatlSci_p023.shtml.
Variables and Constants • Independent Variable: Type of Beverage • Dependent Variable: Height of Reaction • Constants: • Carbonated Water, to Test Sweetener Affects • Amount of Soda / Size of Bottle (2-Liter) • Amount of Mentos Added (4 Per Bottle)
Materials • (2) 14-Rolls of Mentos uncoated mint candies • (2) 2-Liter bottles of Carbonated/Seltzer/Soda Water • (2) 2-Liter bottles of Regular Coca Cola • (2) 2-Liter bottles of Diet Coca Cola • Video Camera with Tripod • Blue painter's tape • Tape measure • Ladder or Stepping Stool • Outdoor Space, with Height Markings (using tape) • Safety Goggles • Ponchos
Procedure: • Organize Mentos • Test-Site Preparation • Set Up the Camera • Put on Safety Equipment • Remove Bottle Cap and Prepare • Start Video Camera, Record Each Trial’s Data • Drop Mentos into Bottle • Repeat Steps 5 to 7 for Remaining Sodas • Watch Videos, Analyze Data • Use Data to Make Graph
Conclusion • The Key Component of the Geysers was the Sweetener in the Sodas • Based on Implication that Carbonated Water = Constant • To See if it Was Indeed Sweetener that Caused the “eruption” • We Think We Followed the Purpose Completely • We Found Which Soda Shoots the Highest • Got Results that Actually Supported our Hypothesis • Diet Coke Shot Up Highest at an Average Height of 2.9718 Meters • We Believe This Had to do w/ Its Artificial Sweetener: Aspartame • Regular Coca Cola was Next Highest with an Average Height 2.1336 Meters • Had Regular Sugar in it • Carbonated Water Reached a Mean Height of 0.2286 Meters (about 6” to 1’) • Most Likely the Result of No Sugar in Carbonated Water
Myth-Busting Results • We Confirmed Our Myth • Diet Pepsi “Erupted” the Highest • It is the Result of the Combo of CO2and Sugar
Interesting Facts • Carbonation Alone Does NOT Determine Size of the “Geyser” • This Experiment is Really (Really, Really) Popular Just a Funny Image We Found
What’s next? If we had the chance, and the funds, we would test many more types of Sodas, Mentos (or even different types of Candies), and do many more trials of each, and have as few possibilities of errors as possible.