Why soda bubbles when you shake it

[bobsmith76]

I understand most of the physics of soda. The bubbles are carbon dioxide in the form of gas and they are rushing to the top to escape from the liquid. I'm trying to figure out why soda bubbles when you shake it. My guess is that when you shake it you're adding energy (work) to the soda and carbon dioxide needs more energy to form gas bubbles in the soda, so that added energy causes the carbon dioxide gas. Let me know if this is correct.

 

[jedishrfu]

http://www.whyzz.com/why-does-soda-explode-when-you-shake-it-up

 

[bobsmith76]

thanks for the webiste link, that answers things.

 

[chrisbaird]

The answer they give in that link is either wrong or incomplete. If you take the top off first and then shake it, then you cannot be forcing the carbon dioxide gas just under the lid back into the liquid because it has already escaped. If you follow their line of reasoning, shaking after removing the lid should do nothing. And yet, experience shows that shaking increases the bubbling whether the lid is on or off.

I think it is a case of nucleation. It is the same reason that microwaved clean water can explode in your face when you shake it.

 

[PJC01]

Your understanding is correct. When soda is bottled, it is under high pressure in order to keep the carbon dioxide gas dissolved in the liquid. When the bottle is opened, the pressure is released and the carbon dioxide gas begins to escape from the liquid, forming bubbles.

When you shake the bottle, you are adding energy to the soda by agitating it. This causes the carbon dioxide gas to become more active and move around more, making it easier for the gas to escape from the liquid and form bubbles. The added energy also helps to break the bonds between the gas and the liquid, allowing the gas to escape more quickly.

In addition, the shaking motion creates tiny air pockets in the liquid, which provide nucleation sites for the gas bubbles to form. This is why shaking the soda causes it to bubble more quickly and vigorously than if it were left still.

Overall, your explanation is correct and demonstrates a good understanding of the physics behind soda bubbling when shaken.