Elementary school science project: How to make a Soda Geyser Experiment

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Today, we will be making a Coke and Mentos Rocket Yay...!!! If you are a fan of Rockets like I am, you'll definitely enjoy working on this project with me.

Without any delay, let's dissect what a Coke-Mentos Rocket (Soda Geyser) is:

Soda Geyser

A soda geyser is a popular science experiment in which a bottle of carbonated soda is combined with a packet of Mentos candies to create a geyser-like eruption of soda. The reaction occurs due to a process called nucleation, in which the rough surface of the Mentos candies provides a surface for the carbon dioxide gas in the soda to rapidly escape, causing a fountain of soda to shoot out of the bottle.

The reaction should occur almost immediately, causing a geyser of soda to shoot out of the bottle. The reaction can be quite dramatic and can shoot soda several feet into the air, so it's important to conduct the experiment in a safe outdoor location where it won't cause any damage or harm to people or property.

A 2-liter bottle of Diet Coke - Mentos Eruption (Wikipedia)

Materials needed

1 Plastic bottle Coke drink
Mentos mint
1 Cardstock

Assembling our Coke-Mentos Rocket

There are not many steps required in this experiment: all we need is to pop some Mentos mint into a bottle of Coke and then run away as fast as possible... Lol!!

Step 1

Select a suitable location to carry out the experiment (preferably in an open space outside as it can get really messy)

Step 2

Once your location is set, open your bottle of soda and then place it on a flat surface. The soda brand I will use for this experiment is a 60cl CocaCola - Zero Sugar (you can use any brand available to you and then compare your observation with mine).

Step 3

Now let's make our Mentos launcher: cut your cardstock to size then roll it into a tube (just slightly wider than the diameter of the Mentos).

You can secure your cardstock in place with tape

Step 4

For this experiment, we will be using 8pcs of Mentos mint.

Now, arrange your 8pcs of Mentos mint into the launcher -- This will enable you to dump the Mentos into the bottle of Coke as quickly as possible.

Arrange

Step 4

Let the Fun Begin...!!!

Cover the bottom of the cardstock tube with your finger then place it over the mouth of the Coke bottle.

Remove your finger from the tube and watch the Mentos race down the Coke bottle. (Just remember not to watch for too long and forget to run away from the bottle ...LoL!!!)

The Science Behind the Scene

Carbonated sodas contain dissolved carbon dioxide gas. This gas is what makes the soda fizzy when the bottle is opened or when the pressure is released.
Mentos candies have a rough surface that creates a lot of tiny bubbles when they are dropped into soda. These bubbles provide a surface area for the carbon dioxide to form.
When the Mentos candies are dropped into the soda, the rough surface of the candies causes the carbon dioxide in the soda to rapidly form into bubbles. The bubbles quickly rise to the surface of the soda, but they also carry a lot of the soda with them.
As more and more bubbles form, they create a lot of pressure inside the bottle. Eventually, the pressure becomes so great that it forces the soda out of the bottle in a geyser-like eruption.

Many consider Diet Coke to be the optimal option for making soda geysers, and it's been studied and confirmed as having the strongest effect. However, any carbonated beverage will work (like the Coke - Zero sugar used here). As for the Mentos, many things work to nucleate carbonated beverages such as other candy, metal, and ceramic spheres.

Explore more on Soda Geyser

With the steps listed here, you can explore more on your own to see the different results possible:

Get different brands of Coke (regular Coke, diet Coke, or even different type of soda drinks such as Sprite)
Get a bigger bottle of drink.
Increase the number of Mentos (the more - the better).
Also, test with drinks of different temperatures and record your observations.

Soda Geyser eruption tested with different brands of soda (Wikipedia)

Other cute engineering activities for kids

If you are looking for more ideas for STEM projects to do with your kids, take a look at these other activities:

Online after-school and summer camps in Silver Spring Maryland

You and your children are looking for nice activities to have fun and learn new things and skills. Come join us starting in May and this summer for more online classes such as:

Python coding for kids and teens
Coding for elementary school students
Make video games
Electronics
Digital modeling (Create cars, rockets, rings, etc) for 3D printing
and much more
with the following link: Online after-schools

And the STEM summer camp for your kids is organized in Silver Spring Maryland nearby Washington DC to have fun and learn more about robotics, coding, droning, and more. Check the link right here:

STEM Summer Camps 2023 - Silver Spring Maryland

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