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One of the most fun
science activity to do with pop is to make it erupt.
You will need:
2-L bottle of pop
(diet cola works great), 8-12 Mentos candies, Plastic tube to hold 8-12
Mentos
Now try
this:
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Place 8-12 Mentos candies into a
plastic tube.
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DO THIS OUTSIDE. Place 2-L
bottle of pop on the ground and carefully remove the top.
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Carefully (but quickly) place the
plastic tube on top of the 2-L bottle of pop and deliver the Mentos.
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Run really fast or stay and get
sprayed by the pop.
What is
happening?
The pop is a water
solution that contains a gas called carbon dioxide. When you open
the bottle of pop you can see the evidence of this gas as tiny bubbles
going to the surface. The gas is put into water under pressure,
opening the bottle lowers the pressure, thus releases some of the gas.
When the Mentos candies are dropped into the pop the surface tension of
the water is lowered, reducing the strength to contain the gas.
Mentos also provides this gas small areas (called nucleation sites) on
the candy to escape out of the water solution. This gas attracts
other gases in the pop solution causing a great big eruption.
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