Heterogeneous nucleation - Mentos and coke

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Kruler
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Nucleation
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the phenomenon of heterogeneous nucleation as it relates to the reaction between Mentos and diet cola. Participants explore various aspects of this reaction, including the state of CO2, the mechanics of nucleation, and the effects of pressure on the eruption produced by the reaction.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether the reaction is indeed due to heterogeneous nucleation and expresses confusion about why CO2, initially in liquid form, turns into gas instead of solid.
  • Another participant clarifies that CO2 starts off as a gas dissolved in the coke, which remains a gas.
  • A participant suggests that the cola with CO2 is a supersaturated solution and inquires why the introduction of Mentos and the nucleation process causes it to lose pressure.
  • One participant seeks additional resources for understanding nucleation beyond Wikipedia.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying levels of understanding regarding the nucleation process and the behavior of CO2 in the reaction. There is no consensus on the explanations provided, and several questions remain unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Participants exhibit uncertainty about the definitions and processes involved in nucleation, particularly regarding the state changes of CO2 and the implications of pressure in the cola solution.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to individuals studying chemistry, physics, or those curious about experimental phenomena related to nucleation and gas behavior in liquids.

Kruler
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Hello guys , I'm a medical student , and I'm very fascinated by this Mentos and diet cola experiment , however i do not understand it completely and i would like to know the followings
-From my understanding it happens because of Heterogeneous Nucleation , is that right ? Then i do not undertand why is the CO2, which starts as liquid form turns actually into gas ? isn't supposed to turn into solid by common logic ? I don't really understand that.
-Why is that happens mainly when the mentos sinks at the bottom of the coke ?
-After this phenomenon, is the liquid (coke) + CO2 still pressurized ? if its not , why is it losing it's pressure ?
-Last question about the pressure - does a super-pressurized coke will produce an higher eruption ?

I read some in the internet , but every website explains the Nucleation process differently , i think i understand it , but not fully though.

I asked a lot of questions , but I'm really curious :)
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Then i do not undertand why is the CO2, which starts as liquid form turns actually into gas ? isn't supposed to turn into solid by common logic ?

The C02 starts off as a gas disolved in the coke. It stays a gas.
 
CWatters said:
The C02 starts off as a gas disolved in the coke. It stays a gas.
Thanks for the reply , so i assume that the cola + CO2 is a supersaturated solution , why is the mentos and the nucleation causing it to lose pressure ?
 
sry for bumping guys , i would really appreciate if anyone knows a good webpage / article / book about nucleation (except wiki)
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
5K
Replies
7
Views
2K
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
4K
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
3K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
24K
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
8K
  • · Replies 46 ·
2
Replies
46
Views
6K