Why does mentos make coke explode?
Take a 2-liter bottle of Diet Coke, drop in a bunch of Mentos mint candies, and watch the bottle erupt. The key to this experiment lies in physics.CarbonationSoft drinks get their fizz from compressed carbon dioxide gas. Gas bubbles are usually “trapped” in the liquid by the surface tension of surrounding water molecules.AgitationBreaking the surface tension of the water molecules releases the carbon dioxide, and the liquid fizzes up. Shaking a bottle is one way to break that tension; another is to drop something into the liquid.NucleationGas bubbles collect on the surface of an object dropped into a carbonated liquid. Rough objects have more “nucleation sites,” points where the bubbles gather.MentosOn a microscopic level, the surface of mint Mentos is covered with pits and bumps, which act as nucleation sites. Fruit-flavored Mentos are smoother, so they don’t work as well. As the candy drops into the liquid, it begins to dissolve, creating more nucleation sites. It also sinks to the b
