this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2024
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If I remember right from a video back when mentos and Coke was all the rage, it wasn't just the texture of the mentos but there was also a chemical reaction in the combination of the two is what led to the violent reaction.
"The eruption is caused by a physical reaction, rather than any chemical reaction. " https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soda_geyser
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jchemed.6b00862#
" These additives are thought to enhance fountaining by lowering the surface tension of the beverage"
It's a still a physical effect, not a chemical reaction. The additives allow the physical effect to happen more rapidly because the water has lower surface tension.
So... You're just being a pedantic ass because I said chemical reaction instead of chemical component (or something to that effect). Really...
My general point still stands. Diet Coke creates more of a reaction with mentos then regular Coke. It is more than just nucleation points on the candy.
It isn't more than nucleation points on the candy. I already provided a source. There are many more. Using a liquid that allows nucleation sites to work better doesn't make it a chemical reaction.
Suppose you have two liquids with different surface tension and each liquid is mixed with marbles. You pour the liquid through a strainer leaving the marbles behind. The fact that each liquid pours at different rates doesn't make pouring the liquid a chemical reaction. It's the same liquid before and after pouring. No chemical reaction has occured.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/04/we-now-know-the-effect-of-altitude-on-classic-diet-coke-and-mentos-fountain/
Mythbusters:
https://youtu.be/LjbJELjLgZg?si=xErbThaPInS-n-VZ
Your point was that a chemical reaction, presumably gas creating, occurs besides the already established effect. The paper you linked just mentions that some dissolved compounds can lower the surface tension which can promote bubble forming. This is not a chemical reaction and the distinction is important.
That’s not correct, the surface of a single mentos provides nucleation points in abundance for the physical reaction.
Would you be able to find the video? I had never heard of this, and can't imagine what "chemical reaction" could occur beyond the carbon dioxide simply coming out of solution.
I can try, but that was probably 15ish years ago. So much has come and gone on the net since then.
I think it was mythbusters? It was something in diet drinks increases the effect over a regular soft drink.
For now, this is the best I think I can offer https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jchemed.6b00862#
Probably the sugar. Sugar decarbonates coke (and other sodas) pretty quickly. Add to that a container under pressure with only a small hole and you get an explosive reaction.
That's still not a "chemical reaction" though. It's just a result of the rough texture of the sugar, same as the mentos.
Soda is full of sugar, so I don't think that's it.
Not trying to argue, but I remember doing this as a kid, and solidly remember that diet sodas worked WAY better than full sugar varieties
Yeah, but it works. When she was little, my sister did it all the time because she loved soda, but only without the carbon.
"The eruption is caused by a physical reaction, rather than any chemical reaction. " https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soda_geyser