Man that was a fun time, oh and on another note, this is that link Alex Walsh wanted to show you:
[tumbledry edit: received link - thanks, Dan!]
John T F Larson
Alex, I must say that I am impressed, that is an amazing picture of our experiment. On a side note, apparently pouring baking soda in ketchup yields a similar result.
The acetic acid in the vinegar in the ketchup reacts with the sodium bicarbonate/baking soda and during their acid base neutralization produces carbon dioxide. By extension, I would say that the Coke is acidic and the Mentos basic. I wonder, however, what in Mentos is basic?
That Mentos reaction isn't an acid/base reaction. It is more of a gas reaction if anything. Ingredients in the mentos leads to changes in the molecular goodness of the diet coke, releasing more carbon dioxide at an accelerated rate. Nothing better than a 10 foot diet coke fountain on a summery night. God I miss some of those chem demos.
"the roughness of the candy surface provides many little nooks and crannies that allow new bubbles to form more quickly." John, I didn't want to admit it, but I think you are on to something.
John T F Larson
Hey, isn't that what I've been saying the whole time? Come on.
Dan McKeown
it might have been JTFL, but no one cares what you have to say
Adam Caulfield
Alex-
What was your strategy for quickly getting Mentos into the diet coke and how many resulted in the above blast?
Also, as a fellow chemist, does anyone know if/why the pop must be diet?
Nils
If the pop must be diet, maybe the reason is for the differing sweetening methods/ingredients used. There is less acid in diet coke but more sugar (so says my dentist), so maybe that would help shine light on this phenomenal reaction…if the above information wasn't already well known.
Dan McKeown
Adam,
We used mint flavored Mentos in the above picture, about 9-12 in number. Many spilled while we delievered them. What we did was role a piece of paper and stack the candies in them with an ID card holding them just above the opening of the bottle. After taking away the card (which resulted in losing some Mentos unfortunately) they dropped in and this picture is what resulted. We have come up with a better delivery system but have not yet tested it.
-Dan
Dan McKeown
Now that I posted that response I see that your comment was directed towards Alex, that was bad form of me to answer. I apologize to the tumbledryers for my presumptuous comment.
John T F Larson
Nils, I do not believe that there is any sugar in diet coke, but only aspartame, which is an artificial sweetener, hence the low calories. I doubt that this only works with diet coke, but that's just what I've heard works for sure. I think that more testing is needed, for a truly decisive answer.
Nils
Someone do some more tests for the love of god please. Try Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, DP, and use both regular and diet versions. I want to get to the bottom of this shit.
Adam Caulfield
Settle down Nils, here's what my research group came up with:
We used Dr. Pepper since it seems to be pretty saturated with gaseous carbon dioxide. We also used mint Mentos, but I've heard it doesn't matter. We successfully got 10 mints into the two-liter bottle using a method similar to the one described above. We measured the resulting blast to be approximately 8 ft high (similar to the picture I'm guessing). This result suggests that the "dietness" of the pop makes no probable difference.
Adam - sorry for not contacting you earlier - I have had finals galore! I am happy to hear you tried this out with your own research team. I've been in contact with my organic chemistry professor - Dr. Ippoliti - and he is guessing it is a combination of acid base and the Mentos freeing the gas (acting as "giant boiling chip" as one of his colleagues (and a former professor of mine), Dr. Glorvigan, put it). Anyhow, Dr. Ippoliti brought up an interesting point: the Diet pop might just be used to aid cleanup - no sugary mess to deal with.
Dan McKeown
is all diet soda sugar free? and does fake sugar have an impact on the experiment?
John T F Larson
The only way to settle the whole chemical reaction v simple release of gas debate is with another experiment that eliminates one of the variables. I propose testing if it is just a rapid release of CO2 by dropping in a nonreactive but highly rough object in the diet pepsi, and seeing if it erupts in a similar fashion. I propose something along the lines of charcoal. I think I'll try this experiment later this week, if anyone else is interested.
Nils
I am interested and I will attend said experiment via video conferencing technology. The fact that I don't have this technology doesn't matter in the slightest.
Mykala
Haha. That made me laugh.
John T F Larson
Nils, I'm sure that you're perfectly capable of inventing your own proprietary video conferencing technology by this weekend. You just need start going MacGyver on us.
That's right, I just used MacGyver as a verb, does anyone have an issue with that?
Markoe
The use of diet pop is soley for the benefit of the user. Diet soda is much easier to clean up… oh wait you guys wouldn't have cleaned up after that either way so moot point I guess. On a related note, is there anyway we could do this on a larger scale? I'm not saying i'm not impressed but I am of the belief that bigger is, and always will be, better. I'm talking like oil drum full of pop here. Seriously, let me know what you think cuz I would be willing to buy an ass load of mentos!
Gonna need something to do this summer right?
Nils
What about making a MentosCoke bomb? You know, toss as many Mentos into a 2-liter as you can, re-seal the bottle quickly, and then see what happens? In the name of science, somebody do this.
Aticris
I read somewhere that the Arabian Gum in Mentos causes tension between the CO2 and Syrup molecules to ease, hence releasing the CO2 gas much faster than intended.
The fact that the bottle directs the pressure through a smaller opening than the reaction is the reason the reaction goes to such a high height. There's a thermodynamic term for this that escapes me at the moment, but it's the same concept that rockets use.
Also, a massive experiment wouldn't work since much of the pressure and CO2 would be lost while pouring coke into such a large unpressurized container.
Mykala
we could spot weld some kind of funnel to the top of the oil drum. I think that might work if your gonna get all physiczy on me.
markoe
It should be apparent to you all that that last comment was not mykala because she would never use the term "physiczy".
I was tipped off by the "gonna" but way more by the fact that I have never heard, nor expect to hear, Mykala say "spot weld." Who knows, though.
Mykala
Actually, the incorrect usage of "your" should have been the biggest indicator of all… you guys don't even know me.
Dan McKeown
I knew! That is why we are getting married, after you marry Sean Green of course.
Mykala
Oh, Dan… you and your electric tongs go straight to my heart. I am so excited to spend the rest of my life with you… and Sean Green.
Nils
Can the spot welding and diet coke/mentos explosion take place at this wedding? That would be a good wedding.
Mykala
Yes, but you are only invited to participate via video conferencing technology. And the fact that you do not have this technology still doesn't matter in the slightest.
Nils
Is this some cruel way to not invite me to your wedding Mykala? Or are you simply implying that with my geniusness I can invent a way to digitally attend your wedding? I mean, I would assume that you mean the latter, but I have to cover my bases.
Mykala
Oh, clearly I mean the latter. You would most definitely be invited to my wedding… via video technology or otherwise. But probably just via video technology.
jade
we just did this lab in my high school chemistry class to day and I was looking for what makes it do what it dose and I enjoyed reading all of your commets.
pease out
Jade
Nils
Is this comment section ranking in the top 5 of most commented on posts?
Comments
Dan McKeown
Man that was a fun time, oh and on another note, this is that link Alex Walsh wanted to show you:
[tumbledry edit: received link - thanks, Dan!]
John T F Larson
Alex, I must say that I am impressed, that is an amazing picture of our experiment. On a side note, apparently pouring baking soda in ketchup yields a similar result.
Alexander Micek
The acetic acid in the vinegar in the ketchup reacts with the sodium bicarbonate/baking soda and during their acid base neutralization produces carbon dioxide. By extension, I would say that the Coke is acidic and the Mentos basic. I wonder, however, what in Mentos is basic?
John
That Mentos reaction isn't an acid/base reaction. It is more of a gas reaction if anything. Ingredients in the mentos leads to changes in the molecular goodness of the diet coke, releasing more carbon dioxide at an accelerated rate. Nothing better than a 10 foot diet coke fountain on a summery night. God I miss some of those chem demos.
Alexander Micek
Interesting. According to this link:
http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/consumer/faq/mentos.shtml
"the roughness of the candy surface provides many little nooks and crannies that allow new bubbles to form more quickly." John, I didn't want to admit it, but I think you are on to something.
John T F Larson
Hey, isn't that what I've been saying the whole time? Come on.
Dan McKeown
it might have been JTFL, but no one cares what you have to say
Adam Caulfield
Alex- What was your strategy for quickly getting Mentos into the diet coke and how many resulted in the above blast? Also, as a fellow chemist, does anyone know if/why the pop must be diet?
Nils
If the pop must be diet, maybe the reason is for the differing sweetening methods/ingredients used. There is less acid in diet coke but more sugar (so says my dentist), so maybe that would help shine light on this phenomenal reaction…if the above information wasn't already well known.
Dan McKeown
Adam, We used mint flavored Mentos in the above picture, about 9-12 in number. Many spilled while we delievered them. What we did was role a piece of paper and stack the candies in them with an ID card holding them just above the opening of the bottle. After taking away the card (which resulted in losing some Mentos unfortunately) they dropped in and this picture is what resulted. We have come up with a better delivery system but have not yet tested it. -Dan
Dan McKeown
Now that I posted that response I see that your comment was directed towards Alex, that was bad form of me to answer. I apologize to the tumbledryers for my presumptuous comment.
John T F Larson
Nils, I do not believe that there is any sugar in diet coke, but only aspartame, which is an artificial sweetener, hence the low calories. I doubt that this only works with diet coke, but that's just what I've heard works for sure. I think that more testing is needed, for a truly decisive answer.
Nils
Someone do some more tests for the love of god please. Try Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, DP, and use both regular and diet versions. I want to get to the bottom of this shit.
Adam Caulfield
Settle down Nils, here's what my research group came up with:
We used Dr. Pepper since it seems to be pretty saturated with gaseous carbon dioxide. We also used mint Mentos, but I've heard it doesn't matter. We successfully got 10 mints into the two-liter bottle using a method similar to the one described above. We measured the resulting blast to be approximately 8 ft high (similar to the picture I'm guessing). This result suggests that the "dietness" of the pop makes no probable difference.
Alexander Micek
Adam - sorry for not contacting you earlier - I have had finals galore! I am happy to hear you tried this out with your own research team. I've been in contact with my organic chemistry professor - Dr. Ippoliti - and he is guessing it is a combination of acid base and the Mentos freeing the gas (acting as "giant boiling chip" as one of his colleagues (and a former professor of mine), Dr. Glorvigan, put it). Anyhow, Dr. Ippoliti brought up an interesting point: the Diet pop might just be used to aid cleanup - no sugary mess to deal with.
Dan McKeown
is all diet soda sugar free? and does fake sugar have an impact on the experiment?
John T F Larson
The only way to settle the whole chemical reaction v simple release of gas debate is with another experiment that eliminates one of the variables. I propose testing if it is just a rapid release of CO2 by dropping in a nonreactive but highly rough object in the diet pepsi, and seeing if it erupts in a similar fashion. I propose something along the lines of charcoal. I think I'll try this experiment later this week, if anyone else is interested.
Nils
I am interested and I will attend said experiment via video conferencing technology. The fact that I don't have this technology doesn't matter in the slightest.
Mykala
Haha. That made me laugh.
John T F Larson
Nils, I'm sure that you're perfectly capable of inventing your own proprietary video conferencing technology by this weekend. You just need start going MacGyver on us.
That's right, I just used MacGyver as a verb, does anyone have an issue with that?
Markoe
The use of diet pop is soley for the benefit of the user. Diet soda is much easier to clean up… oh wait you guys wouldn't have cleaned up after that either way so moot point I guess. On a related note, is there anyway we could do this on a larger scale? I'm not saying i'm not impressed but I am of the belief that bigger is, and always will be, better. I'm talking like oil drum full of pop here. Seriously, let me know what you think cuz I would be willing to buy an ass load of mentos!
Gonna need something to do this summer right?
Nils
What about making a MentosCoke bomb? You know, toss as many Mentos into a 2-liter as you can, re-seal the bottle quickly, and then see what happens? In the name of science, somebody do this.
Aticris
I read somewhere that the Arabian Gum in Mentos causes tension between the CO2 and Syrup molecules to ease, hence releasing the CO2 gas much faster than intended.
The fact that the bottle directs the pressure through a smaller opening than the reaction is the reason the reaction goes to such a high height. There's a thermodynamic term for this that escapes me at the moment, but it's the same concept that rockets use.
Also, a massive experiment wouldn't work since much of the pressure and CO2 would be lost while pouring coke into such a large unpressurized container.
Mykala
we could spot weld some kind of funnel to the top of the oil drum. I think that might work if your gonna get all physiczy on me.
markoe
It should be apparent to you all that that last comment was not mykala because she would never use the term "physiczy".
Alexander Micek
I was tipped off by the "gonna" but way more by the fact that I have never heard, nor expect to hear, Mykala say "spot weld." Who knows, though.
Mykala
Actually, the incorrect usage of "your" should have been the biggest indicator of all… you guys don't even know me.
Dan McKeown
I knew! That is why we are getting married, after you marry Sean Green of course.
Mykala
Oh, Dan… you and your electric tongs go straight to my heart. I am so excited to spend the rest of my life with you… and Sean Green.
Nils
Can the spot welding and diet coke/mentos explosion take place at this wedding? That would be a good wedding.
Mykala
Yes, but you are only invited to participate via video conferencing technology. And the fact that you do not have this technology still doesn't matter in the slightest.
Nils
Is this some cruel way to not invite me to your wedding Mykala? Or are you simply implying that with my geniusness I can invent a way to digitally attend your wedding? I mean, I would assume that you mean the latter, but I have to cover my bases.
Mykala
Oh, clearly I mean the latter. You would most definitely be invited to my wedding… via video technology or otherwise. But probably just via video technology.
jade
we just did this lab in my high school chemistry class to day and I was looking for what makes it do what it dose and I enjoyed reading all of your commets. pease out Jade
Nils
Is this comment section ranking in the top 5 of most commented on posts?
Alexander Micek
I think this is in third for comments … I'll have to whip up a script for most commented posts here.