Electric current is found when Menthos is put in Coca cola

thinh123

Few years ago, we have known about the phenomenon that Coca cola is overflow severely when a piece of Menthos candy is put inside.

I replicate this experiment, with a multimeter is used to measure the current. With my surprise, the needle vibrates to show that an electric current is generated.

Could anyone repeat my experiment to find out that if I am wrong or not

Thank you

willem2

I think a somewhat better description of what you did is needed. Where did you put the probes, what is the material of the probes, what is the range of the multimeter, etc.

thinh123

I would like to say again:

1. Open a Coke bottle

2. Use a mutitester in DCA area, range 250 mA.

3. Sink the probes into the bottle.

4. Throw a menthos candy piece into the bottle to see it overflows

Then the needle of the meter vibrates to show that a Dc current is just generated.

Thanks

NascentOxygen

Your observation is not unsurprising. Coke is acidic so will react with metal immersed in it. You expect to see a potential difference between immersed electrodes if there is a concentration difference in the electrolyte. The menthos reaction is unevenly distributed in the bottle, and as the reaction proceeds it causes a fluctuating difference in electrolyte concentrations near the electrodes.

When the reaction has ceased, does the current also appear to cease?

thinh123

Yes, you are correct. Thank you for your explanation

NascentOxygen

Correcting my own post.

thinh123

It's OK.

Another question: Why does this reaction results in DC current, not voltage. I also use the DCVolt function to measure voltage, nothing happens