By: Brandon Shillady and Sean Stull

W HEN ADDING A PIECE OF M ENTOS CANDY TO A CARBONATED BEVERAGE, OUT OF C ARBONATED W ATER, REGULAR C OCA C OLA, OR D IET C OKE, D IET C OKE SHOULD PRODUCE THE LARGEST REACTION.

If we drop four uncoated Mint Mentos into 2-Liter bottles of Carbonated Water, Coca Cola, and Diet Coke, then the artificial sweetener of the Diet Coke will cause it to produce the highest eruption.

2 Factors Involved in Mentos & Soda Explosion 1 st Component = Soda Provides a Key Reactant of CO 2 W/out CO 2 from Soda, Bubbles that Form Explosion Would Not Be Formed 2 nd Component = Mentos Candy Usually four Mentos Are Put in Each 2-Liter Bottle This Reactant is Provides the Little Grooves that Form Housings to Form Bubbles Bubbles Form in the Tiny Moon-Surface-Like Grooves on Original Mentos Candy Surface Explosion Starts when Mentos Hit the Bottom of the Soda Bottle Muir, Hazel. "Science of Mentos & Diet Coke Explosions Explained." NewScientist: Physics & Math. Reed Business Information, 12 June Web. 02 May explosions-explained.html. explosions-explained.html

Agee, Sara. "Coke & Mentos - Nucleation Goes Nuclear!" Science Buddies. GuideStar, 23 May Web. 02 May projects/project_ideas/MatlSci_p023.shtml. projects/project_ideas/MatlSci_p023.shtml Key Concepts: Nucleation Sites Phase Transition in a Small Region Physical and Chemical Reactions Solution Carbon Dioxide » CO 2 Surface tension Tests to Try During Experiment Use Instead of Mentos: Rock Salt Pennies Dice Use Different Types of Mentos Mint vs. Fruit Uncoated vs. Coated Use Instead of Mentos: Rock Salt Pennies Dice Use Different Types of Sodas Regular Coca Cola Diet Coca Cola Carbonated Water (Seltzer / Soda Water) Flavored Soda

Independent Variable: Type of Beverage Dependent Variable: Height of Reaction Constants: Carbonated Water, to Test Sweetener Affects Amount of Soda / Size of Bottle (2-Liter) Amount of Mentos Added (4 Per Bottle)

(2) 14-Rolls of Mentos uncoated mint candies (2) 2-Liter bottles of Carbonated/Seltzer/Soda Water (2) 2-Liter bottles of Regular Coca Cola (2) 2-Liter bottles of Diet Coca Cola Video Camera with Tripod Blue painter's tape Tape measure Ladder or Stepping Stool Outdoor Space, with Height Markings (using tape) Safety Goggles Ponchos

1. Organize Mentos 2. Test-Site Preparation 3. Set Up the Camera 4. Put on Safety Equipment 5. Remove Bottle Cap and Prepare 6. Start Video Camera, Record Each Trials Data 7. Drop Mentos into Bottle 8. Repeat Steps 5 to 7 for Remaining Sodas 9. Watch Videos, Analyze Data 10. Use Data to Make Graph

Mentos + Carbonated Beverage = ? ~~ Experimental Results Soda Type + 4 MentosTrial 1 Height (in Meters)Trial 2 Height (in Meters)Average Height (in Meters) Carbonated Water Coca Cola Diet Coke

The Key Component of the Geysers was the Sweetener in the Sodas Based on Implication that Carbonated Water = Constant To See if it Was Indeed Sweetener that Caused the eruption We Think We Followed the Purpose Completely We Found Which Soda Shoots the Highest Got Results that Actually Supported our Hypothesis Diet Coke Shot Up Highest at an Average Height of Meters We Believe This Had to do w/ Its Artificial Sweetener: Aspartame Regular Coca Cola was Next Highest with an Average Height Meters Had Regular Sugar in it Carbonated Water Reached a Mean Height of Meters (about 6 to 1) Most Likely the Result of No Sugar in Carbonated Water

We Confirmed Our Myth Diet Pepsi Erupted the Highest It is the Result of the Combo of CO 2 AND Sugar

Carbonation Alone Does NOT Determine Size of the Geyser This Experiment is Really (Really, Really) Popular Just a Funny Image We Found

If we had the chance, and the funds, we would test many more types of Sodas, Mentos (or even different types of Candies), and do many more trials of each, and have as few possibilities of errors as possible.