The Mentos and Diet Coke Experience has become quite popular all around the United States. When Mentos are dropped in Diet Coke, a huge eruption occurs. The

main idea of this experience is to determine what causes the interesting reaction. There are many different theories floating around the internet, however; only one

can be correct. This lab requires performing the Mentos and Diet Coke experiment numerous times, changing a variable. The variable that is going to be tested and

changed is the substance Gum Arabic- an ingredient in the Mentos. The ingredient Gum Arabic reacts with the carbonation of the soda – making the huge eruption.

Diet Coke and Mentos

Background Introduction and Hypothesis

Materials, Procedure, Safety Experimental Design

Abstract

ConclusionPictures

Overlook

Ally Evans | Allie O’Connell | Missy | Taylor | Jessica

Candy Mixture

Amount After (oz.)

Observations

Mentos 24 0z. Tall geyser, spit most out

Tic-Tacs 38 oz. Long fizz time

Sweetarts 32 oz. Tall geyser, left residue, reaction

not expected

Kit-Kat 44 oz. Reaction not expected, floated

Experimental Design

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1 2 3 4Mentos Tic-Tacs Sweetarts

Kit-KAt

Amount of Liquid

after Reaction (oz.)

Type of Candy

Type of Candy vs. THe Amount After the Reaction

Candy Gum Arabic?

Mentos Yes

Tic-Tacs Yes

Sweetarts No

Kit-Kat No

Does it contain Gum Arabic?

Materials, Procedure, Safety

MATERIALS:¼ cup of Mentos candy ¼ cup of SweeTarts candy¼ cup of Tic-Tac mints¼ cup of Kit-Kat bar4 2-litter bottles of Diet CokeFunnel Measuring cup

1. Gather all materials.2. Prepare one Diet Coke bottle by unscrewing

cap and placing the funnel over the spout.3. Pour ¼ cup of Mentos into funnel, and quickly

remove funnel for fizz.4. Once the mixture is done fizzing, pour

remaining Diet Coke mixture into measuring cup, and record the remaining content.

5. Repeat step 2.6. Pour ¼ cup of Tic-Tacs into funnel, and quickly

remove funnel for fizz.7. Repeat step 4.8. Repeat step 2.9. Pour ¼ cup of Sweetarts into funnel, and

quickly remove funnel for fizz.10.Repeat step 4.11.Repeat step 2.12.Pour ¼ cup of the Kit-Kat bar into funnel, and

quickly remove funnel for fizz.13.Repeat step 4.14.Clean up the experiment site and dispose of

necessary materials.

Procedure

Safety PrecautionInsure that proper eye protection is in use while experiment is in action to prevent eye irritation.

Abstract

Our goal for the experiment was to find if the ingredient “Gum Arabic”, found in Mentos candy, caused the eruption when Mentos were dropped into a bottle of Diet Coke. Our hypothesis was that candies with gum arabic would have a greater reaction than those that did not. We tested this by dropping Mentos, Tic-Tacs, SweeTarts, and Kit-Kats into 2-liter bottles of diet coke, and measuring how much was left in the bottle when the reaction was done. Our hypothesis was proved incorrect by our experiment, because the second most-reactive candy was SweeTarts, which does not contain Gum Arabic.

Conclusion

After doing the experiment, it was decided that the hypothesis was to be rejected. The hypothesis stated that the gum Arabic from the Mentos, and the carbonation from the Diet Coke created the reaction. However, two of the four candies used in the experiment did not contain gum Arabic, and they had extreme reactions. For instance, the Sweetarts (containing no gum Arabic) and Diet Coke mixture had the highest fizz geyser and only had 32 oz. of the solution left after the reaction. Obviously, this proved our hypothesis wrong. From this experiment, the group learned that this reaction is not a chemical, but a physical reaction. After this information was obtained, the group discovered that it cannot be the gum Arabic causing the reaction because all the candies created fizz and geysers. This showed that Mentos are not the only candy that can react with the Diet Coke. The experiment showed the group that candy and Diet Coke can potentially be dangerous. If someone takes a sip of Diet Coke directly after putting a piece of candy in their mouth, the reaction could occur inside their mouth. Aside from that, the errors in the experiment should be discussed. One possible error that was made was when the Tic-Tacs were dropped in the funnel, not all of them went through. This could have affected the results of the experiment. So, if the experiment was done again, the size of the funnel should be modified. Overall, the experiment went very smoothly and the results were quite surprising.

Pictures

Above: Sweetart Geyser

Bottom Left: Kit-Kat Geyser

Top Left: Tic-Tacs

Our goal for the experiment was to find if the ingredient “Gum Arabic”, found in Mentos candy, caused the eruption when Mentos were dropped into a bottle of Diet Coke. Our hypothesis was that candies with gum arabic would have a greater reaction than those that did not. We tested this by dropping Mentos, Tic-Tacs, SweeTarts, and Kit-Kats into 2-liter bottles of diet coke, and measuring how much was left in the bottle when the reaction was done. Our hypothesis was proved incorrect by our experiment, because the second most-reactive candy was SweeTarts, which does not contain Gum Arabic.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNMATERIALS:

¼ cup of Mentos candy ¼ cup of SweeTarts candy

¼ cup of Tic-Tac mints¼ cup of Kit-Kat bar

4 2-litter bottles of Diet CokeFunnel

Measuring cup

PROCEDURE:

1. Gather all materials.2. Prepare one Diet Coke bottle

by unscrewing cap and placing the funnel over the spout.

3. Pour ¼ cup of Mentos into funnel, and quickly remove

funnel for fizz.4. Once the mixture is done

fizzing, pour remaining Diet Coke mixture into measuring

cup, and record the remaining content.

5. Repeat step 2.6. Pour ¼ cup of Tic-Tacs into

funnel, and quickly remove funnel for fizz.

7. Repeat step 4.8. Repeat step 2.

9. Pour ¼ cup of Sweetarts into funnel, and quickly remove

funnel for fizz.10. Repeat step 4.11. Repeat step 2.

12. Pour ¼ cup of the Kit-Kat bar into funnel, and quickly remove

funnel for fizz.13. Repeat step 4.

14. Clean up the experiment site and dispose of necessary

materials.

After doing the experiment, it was decided that the hypothesis was to be rejected. The hypothesis stated that the gum Arabic from the Mentos, and the carbonation from the Diet Coke created the reaction. However, two of the four candies used in the experiment did not contain gum Arabic, and they had extreme reactions. For instance, the Sweetarts (containing no gum Arabic) and Diet Coke mixture had the highest fizz geyser and only had 32 oz. of the solution left after the reaction. Obviously, this proved our hypothesis wrong. From this experiment, the group learned that this reaction is not a chemical, but a physical reaction. After this information was obtained, the group discovered that it cannot be the gum Arabic causing the reaction because all the candies created fizz and geysers. This showed that Mentos are not the only candy that can react with the Diet Coke. The experiment showed the group that candy and Diet Coke can potentially be dangerous. If someone takes a sip of Diet Coke directly after putting a piece of candy in their mouth, the reaction could occur inside their mouth. Aside from that, the errors in the experiment should be discussed. One possible error that was made was when the Tic-Tacs were dropped in the funnel, not all of them went through. This could have affected the results of the experiment. So, if the experiment was done again, the size of the funnel should be modified. Overall, the experiment went very smoothly and the results were quite surprising.

SAFETY PRECAUTION:

Insure that proper eye protection is in use while experiment is in action to

prevent eye irritation.

CONCLUSION

OverlookABSTRACT

Materials used

Preparing the

experiment

SweeTarts Reaction

BACKGROUND INFO & HYPOTHESIS

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

1 2 3 4Mento Tic-Tacs

Sweetarts

Kit-KAt

Amount of

Liquid after

Reaction

(oz.)

Type of Candy

Type of Candy vs. The Amount After the Reaction

The Mentos and Diet Coke Experience has become quite popular all around the United States. When Mentos are dropped in Diet Coke, a huge eruption occurs. The main idea of this experience is to determine what causes the interesting reaction. There are many different theories floating around the internet, however; only one can be correct. This lab requires performing the Mentos and Diet Coke experiment numerous times, changing a variable. The variable that is going to be tested and changed is the substance Gum Arabic- an ingredient in the Mentos. The ingredient Gum Arabic reacts with the carbonation of the soda – making the huge eruption.