There are many fun things you can do with a soda besides simply enjoying it as a refreshing drink. One popular example is adding Mentos to a bottle of carbonated drink to create a simulated explosion. It's absolutely thrilling to witness a bottle of soda shoot up a fountain of foam as high as possible. Some groups are even dedicated to studying the reactions between Mentos and soda under various conditions, often experimenting with different types of soda or adding multiple Mentos to a single bottle to see how powerful the reaction can become. In fact, the Guinness World Record for the largest number of simultaneous geysers or eruptions of soda and Mentos stands at 2,865, which occurred in Manila, Philippines on October 17, 2010.
The eruption is caused by the rapid expulsion of foam, which occurs due to the small pores on the candy's surface. These pores help release carbon dioxide gas. All soda or carbonated drinks produce the same result, but many people have observed that the best reaction occurs when Diet Coke is used with Mentos. This is because the drink contains ingredients such as aspartame, potassium benzoate, and carbon dioxide gas, which mix with the gelatin and gum arabic in the candy. The television program MythBusters confirmed this. They also found that mint flavored Mentos provide the best results compared to other flavors. Some groups create fun obstacles and even synchronize the eruption of the candy and soda with music, creating a beautiful musical fountain of carbonated drink. There are endless possibilities for what a person can do with this discovery. Some create rockets powered by soda, while others try consuming both the candy and soda at the same time and wait for something to happen. It is important to perform these activities outside or in an open area to ensure that nothing important gets soaked in soda during the eruption.
It can be a great fun activity for parties or a science experiment. Checking out some designs available online can be helpful. There are designs that can create different patterns when one Mentos candy is dropped in a soda bottle. The eruption of Mentos and soda can certainly create harmless fun for many individuals, but it can also be quite messy to clean up. Once all the soda is used up and the candy dissolves, it will leave a sticky mess that can be quite challenging to clean. Therefore, it is crucial to find a location that will minimize damage before setting up this soda Mentos fountain and mixing the two. Once the reaction begins, there is no way to stop the eruption as long as there is soda and Mentos to fuel it.