2. The Diet Soda And Mentos Effect By Pete Evans-Digre

3. What A Mentos Geyser Is  This happens when Mint Mentos (candy) are put in a bottle of diet soda.  It results in a huge soda geyser.

4. Why This Happens  Scientists think that this happens because of a physical reaction between the diet soda and Mentos.  Water molecules are strongly attracted to other ones, and this traps Carbon Dioxide. The Mentos break this barrier.

5. Dissolving Mentos  The Gum Arabic and Gellan Gum in the Mentos dissolve immediately when the Mentos are dropped into the soda.  This relaxes the attraction of water molecules, thus releasing the trapped Carbon Dioxide (gas).

6. The Mentos Bubbling  The Mentos have thousands of microscopic holes in their coating. These help bubbles form. The holes are called Nucleation Sites.  The second the Mentos come in contact with the soda, they become engulfed in bubbles. They sink to the bottom, causing many bubbles. The fast, large increase in pressure pushes the soda into the air.

7. Fun Facts  Rock Salt works as a substitute for Mentos.  The aspartame, caffeine, and potassium benzoate in the soda help the geyser.  Diet Soda works better than regular soda, because there is an artificial sweetener, aspartame, one of the key ingredients.  Diet Soda is also used because it’s less sticky.

8. World Records World Records  The World Record of the most simultaneous Mentos geysers was set in Breda, Netherlands. 853 geysers were set off simultaneously.  The largest Mentos geyser ever recorded was 34 feet tall. It was created by Mythbusters (a T.V. show on the Discovery Channel). World Records!!!

9. Death Myth  It is an Urban Legend that eating Mentos and drinking Diet Soda at the same time would rupture your stomach and kill you.  This is not true. But you would “barf” a Mentos geyser. This is proven by several online videos; and the 8/9/06 Mythbusters episode. Warning : Do not try this at home! This is a trained Professional!

10. Credits  http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/ex periment/00000109 http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/ex periment/00000109 http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/ex periment/00000109  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_Coke_an d_Mentos_eruption http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_Coke_an d_Mentos_eruption http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_Coke_an d_Mentos_eruption  http://www.kfvs12.com/Global/story.asp? S=6106663 http://www.kfvs12.com/Global/story.asp? S=6106663 http://www.kfvs12.com/Global/story.asp? S=6106663  http://www.answers.com/topic/mentos- eruption http://www.answers.com/topic/mentos- eruption http://www.answers.com/topic/mentos- eruption