We first had a look at a small jar of Diet Coke and described its features (e.g. fizzy, bubbly). We then talked about what would happen if we put the Mentos into the Coke.
To start with we put one Mentos in the jars. There wasn't much reaction, although the Coke did fizz a little bit more. Also, we noticed that the colour on the outside of the Mentos washed off.
Next we decided to head outside to see what would happen if we put a pack of Mentos in a bottle of Coke.
We put half a pack of Mentos in half a bottle of Coke.
There was a small reaction.
So, we decided to put a whole pack of Mentos into a whole bottle of Coke. There was a much bigger reaction.
Our next step was to write down our findings in our Science books.
When we got back to class we had a closer look at why the Diet Coke reacted the way it did.
The reason is because the CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) is looking for a way out.
All the carbon dioxide in the soda – all that fizz – is squeezed into the liquid and looking for a way out. It’s drawn to any tiny bumps that it can grab onto. Those tiny bumps are called nucleation sites: places the gas can grab onto and start forming bubbles.
We watched a youtube clip about Diet Coke and Mentos, and found out that Coke Zero has an even bigger reaction!
