Diet Coke & Mentos_gabrielam

Breaking the Record The next record was set on April 23, 2008,

Magic but real experiments

by students in the Belgian city of Leuven; they

simultaneously

launched

D IE T C O KE

1,360

AND M E NTO S E RU PT IO N

Mentos geysers. Then, on May 14, 2008, students at Louisville Male High School in Louisville, Kentucky, broke that record by

Gabriela Merghes student in the IX-th D grade at Mihai Eminescu National High School

setting off 1,800 simultaneous geysers. The current Guinness World Record — 1,911 simultaneous geysers — was set on June 19, 2008, by students of The School of

eTwinning experiments

Business Administration Turiba in Latvia.

Experiment This record was registered by the official representative of the Guinness World Re-

Phone:0261-759035 Fax: 0261759035 E-mail: [email protected]

cord book.

Tel: 0234-769 075

1

Diet Coke & Mentos

Popularity

Explanation

As noted, the eruption has become an internet phenomenon. One reason for the

Diet Coke and Mentos Eruption

(also

known as a Mentos eruption or a coke geyser) is a reaction of Diet Coke and mint Mentos candies. The eruption is caused by opening a bottle of Diet Coke (typically a

In a 2006 episode of MythBusters, a popular television program on the Discovery Channel, they concluded that the caffeine, potassium benzoate, aspartame, and CO2

popularity of this demonstration is its comparative safety. Because the interaction releases only the carbon dioxide already present in the liquid, the cola bottle should not usually rupture if capped, although it is

two liter bottle) and dropping a Mentos into

gas contained in the Diet Coke and the

possible to break the bottle with physical

the bottle. The reaction causes the Diet

gelatin and gum arabic ingredients of the

f o r ce . T hi s

Coke to foam at a rapid rate and spew into

Mentos all contribute to the jet effect.

demonstrations with dry ice wich have the

A paper by Tonya Coffey, a physicist at

potential to generate much larger pressures

the air. Mint is used instead of fruit-flavor Mentos because fruit flavored Mentos have a smooth coating which slows the reaction. Because of the nature of this physical reaction and the easy availability of the

Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina goes into detail on the reasons and physics

behind

the

reaction.

ingredients, the eruption is a popular

Steve Spangler, who first put the Mentos

subject for Internet videos, and has also

Geyser in the public eye, has several videos

appeared

A

and detailed experiments about it on his

variation of this experience consists on

website. The Geyser Tube is a device

making the bottle rocket up by closing the

invented for use in creating the reaction.

in

non-Internet

sources.

cap shortly after Mentos is inserted and,

di f fe r s

from

si mi l a r

depending on the amount used. The Mythbusters also noted when testing the experiment, that unlike other materials like dry ice which are expensive and rare, Diet Coke and Mentos can be acquired at almost any local convenience store. Experiment

Gabriela Merghes , student in the IX-th D Grade at Mihai Eminescu National Highschool in Satu Mare

then, slam the bottle into the ground cap first. The explosion will generate a reaction

Phone:0261-759035 Fax: 0261759035 E-mail: [email protected]

like the engines of a rocket. 2