Science Fun

Mentos Exploding Soda Easy Science Experiment

In the quick and easy science experiment, we are going to show you how to make your very own Mentos launcher that you can use to make an exploding soda. 

 

Materials:

  • A 2-liter Diet Coke. Regular Coke is sticky so we recommend the Diet soda. 
  • Piece on construction paper
  • Scissors
  • Tape
  • Toothpick
  • Straw
  • Hole punch
  • Roll of Mentos

 

Instructions:

  1. Cut a 3 inch by 2 inch rectangle of construction paper.
  2. Orient the long end of the rectangle piece of construction paper along the length of the roll of Mentos.
  3. Fold the construction paper around the roll of Mentos to create a cylinder shape.
  4. Tape the edge of the construction paper securely and slide it off of the tube of Mentos.
  5. Use the hole punch to make a hole near the bottom of the cylinder.
  6. Now make another hole on the other side of the cylinder that aligns and is directly across from the first hole.
  7. Cut a three inch piece of the straw.
  8. Slide the piece of straw through both holes. These will create a barrier to keep Mentos from falling through until you are ready for them to do so.
  9. Remove the cap from the 2-liter Diet Coke.
  10. Tape the construction paper cylinder around the mouth of the 2-liter soda bottle. 
  11. Find an outside area that is easy to clean up and can get a little messy. Look up and make sure there is nothing overhead.
  12. Making sure the straw is still in place, add three or four Mentos to the cylinder.
  13. Start a countdown. Three, Two, One, Pull!
  14. Pull the straw and step back quickly.
  15. Observe what happens when the Mentos fall into the soda. 

 

CHECK OUT THE QUICK VIDEO TUTORIAL!

 

 

 

How it Works:

As the Mentos sinks to the bottom of the soda, it causes the quick production of carbon dioxide bubbles. These rising carbon dioxide bubbles react with more carbon dioxide still in the soda causing it to release as well. The pressure builds up and then creates the eruption or geyser of soda. 

 

Make This A Science Project:

Test different types of soda. Test different volumes of soda. There are many flavors of Mentos so you can test these for different effects. You may also want to try different amounts of Mentos to see if there is a visible difference in the height of the eruption. Try different temperatures of soda. 

 

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