Erupting Diet Coke® with Mentos®

Introduction

Have you ever seen the Diet Coke® and Mentos® experiment, which is all over the Internet, and wondered what makes the reaction work? You might think that there is some ingredient in a Mentos candy causing a chemical reaction with the soda, like the way baking soda reacts with vinegar. But the amazing eruption that takes place when Mentos are dropped into Diet Coke is not a chemical reaction at all! Instead it is a physical reaction. That means that all of the pieces of the reaction are there, but that they are simply re-arranged. And changing some factors may cause a larger or smaller physical reaction to take place — see for yourself!

Credits

Materials

• Wax paper
• Cutting board
• Knife
• Eye protection, such as safety goggles or glasses
• Index cards (2)
• Tape
• One roll of Mentos (at least 8 candies)
• Two-liter bottles of Diet Coke (2)
• An outdoor area at least two meters from buildings
• Optional: Video camera and a tripod or helper