Soda Pop "Fireworks" (continued)
Topics: Fourth Grade, Science, Outdoor, July 4th/Independence Day
The “why” behind this explosion is actually two-fold - both physical and chemical - and has been the subject of some spirited debate among scientists. When you drink “soda pop,” you’re enjoying a sugary liquid into which carbon dioxide has been pumped at high pressure. Water molecules in the soda have form a “mesh” of surface tension around the liquid, keeping it relatively stable. The mentos disrupt that surface tension, while simultaneously providing a rough surface ideal for carbon dioxide bubbles to form and fizzle. Drop in a full roll of mentos, and wham! You get a massive explosion, right out of the top of your bottle. This is a great way to celebrate the holiday with some science!
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Julie Williams, M.A. Education, taught middle and high school History and English for seventeen years. Since then, she has volunteered in elementary classrooms while raising her two sons and earning a master's in school administration. She has also been a leader in her local PTA.
Comments from readers
This activity was the perfect solution. Every child that was here was totally into it. My under 8 year olds, all thought it was cool and compared it to making volcanoes! The 9 and above crowd were into the experimenting, they wanted to try every flavor, every type, generic verses regular and how high they all got. It was great fun and my mother even came to watch our display.