Coke and Mentos Video

Here is my attempt at the Coke and Mentos Experiment.  

The geyser was not as large as I had anticipated it being but that is because I was late moving the paper funnel away from the top.  Keep this in mind when you try the experiment.

Chemistry in the News

Here is an awesome news story about a suspected terror plot that got foiled.  The suspect, who was training as a chemical engineer, was trying to obtain large quantities of chemicals to create a bomb.  The FBI was notified by Carolina Biological Supply when the order took place and the FBI soon showed up at the suspects home.  In the interview Dempsey Hyatt is asked questions about the chemicals used and how they are formed into a bomb.  Dempsey is a research scientist who works with me in my lab.  He has worked with flash explosives before which makes him an expert in the field.  Check out the Video and read the story by clicking here or the link below.

http://www.digtriad.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=163089

Chemistry Research

To take a first hand look at the Chemistry Research I am conducting under Dr. Croatt's advising at UNCG check out our group website by clicking here.  You can read about the different areas of Chemistry in which we are doing research.  You can also find out about paid opportunities to do your own research through the University.  Hope you enjoy the website.

Behind the Scenes: Coke and Mentos

Why did the Diet Coke create a geyser when the Mentos was added?  There are a couple of reasons.  First Diet Coke like other sodas is carbonated, which means it contains compressed CO2 in the liquid.  The CO2 is what creates the bubbles in your soda and the hissing noise when you open the cap of a bottle.  The noise is created by the CO2 expanding out of the liquid back into a gas.  When you shake up a soda and open it quickly, it bubbles up and can over flow because the CO2 is being released from the liquid.  The reason Diet Coke is the best soda for this experiment is because it has high levels of CO2 compressed in the liquid.  The second reason the geyser is created is through a process call nucleation that takes place on the surface of the Mentos.  Nucleation means that there are wholes into the surface of the Mentos that increasing the surface area.  When the Mentos is dropped into the CO2 rich liquid the CO2 forms a gas in all of the nucleation sites.  This increases the amount of gas that is formed and all this gas rushes out of the bottle in a geyser.

Popular Science

If you like the information posted on this blog you may also like to check out Popular Science's website by clicking Here. If this link does not work you can copy the link posted below. Popular Science is filled with information about science, technology, gadgets and more. If you know of other cool science websites or magazines leave a comment below. Check it out!

http://www.popsci.com/science

How To: Coke and Mentos.

How to create your own Coke and Mentos experiment.
Individuals may find that tweaking of instruct ons and amounts may lead to best results.

Obtain: 1 pack of Mentos, 1 piece of paper, and a 2 liter bottle of Diet Coke.

Procedures: Move outside into a clear space, unwrap the Mentos and lay them on the piece of paper. Role the paper around the Mentos to create a straight funnel. Ensure that the round end of the paper will fit inside the mouth of the bottle. Uncap the bottle and hold the paper with the Mentos inside above the opening without allowing them to fall in. Now push the Mentos out of the paper down into the bottle and run. Stand back and enjoy the geyser.
Be sure to clean up and throw all trash away!

So what caused the geyser, is there chemistry involved? Stay tuned for a detailed description of the science involved in the Coke and Mentos experiment.

All advice and instructions given on this blog are not the sole property of the creator nor is the creator responsible for any damage or harm done by these experiments. Please always abide by the most strenuous safety regulations and procedures and have fun.

Coke and Mentos Video

The Fun Begins.

My current favorite example of having fun with Chemistry.  Hopefully through this blog I and you will find other examples of having fun with Chemistry.  The Chemistry of this experiment, and a description of how to do this experiment will be posted later.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKoB0MHVBvM

Day One

Hello Blogger,
Hope you are excited to read about Chemistry!