Visually exciting science demonstrations are very easy to do thanks to Mentos and diet cola. This combination is so explosive due to the fact that, Mentos candy hits soda, the carbon dioxide gas in the soda reacts with the gelatin and gum arabic in the candy by making more and more bubbles, forcing the cola to explode outwards. This easy-to-do chemical reaction can be done on its own for a science project, can be modified slightly to something a little different, or can be used to demonstrate one of Isaac Newton's Three Laws of Motion.
Classic Candy and Cola
This experiment just requires a bottle of diet cola and a package of Mentos. When the two are mixed, a fountain of soda will erupt from the bottle. If you want to measure the length of the fountain, then you should tilt the bottle after dropping the Mentos in and line the spray up with a tape measure. You could also try different kinds of sodas to see which one creates the best reaction. For teachers, this would also be a great opportunity to teach your students about chemical reactions.
The Domino Effect
If you want to bring some physics into your Mentos and soda experiment, then you could try this. Instead of just making one soda fountain, get enough soda and Mentos for at least three fountains. Add a tube with a pull release to each of the bottles and tie the ripcord of two of the three of these release valves to cups placed over two of the tubes. You can use this variation on the experiment to demonstrate upward forces and their use in chain reactions.
Looking at the Mint
Because the roughness of Mentos candies is a contributing factor to their explosive reaction to diet cola, you could try putting other candies or mints (with different types of surfaces) into diet cola. The pits and grooves in the surface of a Mentos candy/mint help to promote the creation and spread of bubbles, which is one reason for the incredible reaction of Mentos and soda. Testing the reactions of other kinds of candy/mint in diet cola could be used to show students the importance of having the right conditions for certain chemical reactions to happen.
Making a Mentos Mini-Rocket Car
If you attach a pair of wheels to your bottle of diet cola and create a controlled delivery system for the Mentos candies, you can make your own mini-rocket car. Wheels can be taped onto the bottle, and the delivery system can be made with some PVC pipe, a wooden dowel, and some tape. This use of the Mentos and soda reaction is a great way to demonstrate Newton's Third Law of Motion -- that every action has an equal and opposite reaction -- to students.
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