If you are looking for candy that reacts with diet coke crossword clue, it’s Mentos. It is the only candy that reacts with a diet coke to give a small volcanic eruption that you see in most scientific explanations and YouTube videos. Of course, you can use other acidic substances for the experiment, but Mentos is the only candy that reacts to diet coke.
The famous diet coke and mentos eruption, also known as a soda geyser, is a reaction between the carbonated beverage Diet Coke and Mentos mints that causes the beverage to eject from its container with force. The candies increase the rate of a chemical reaction and the gas released from the beverage, which creates an eruption that pushes most of the liquid up and out of the bottle.
This famous experiment was first conducted by Lee Marek and “Marek’s Kid Scientists” when they first demonstrated the experiment on Late Show with David Letterman in 1999. Later, this experiment was shown on television, and in 2005, it became popular on YouTube.
With that, people have taken it too far. Some made vehicles out of erupted soda, while others made rockets in those viral YouTube videos. It’s a fun experiment for adults and children to conduct that involves the least risk and investment.
This article will make you understand more about the candy that reacts to diet coke, how to experiment, the scientific reasons, etc.
Table of Contents
Candy That Reacts With Diet Coke Crossword
The crossword clue, candy that reacts to Diet Coke with 6 letters, was last seen on January 05, 2022. The answer you were looking for is MENTOS. Unfortunately, there is no other candy acidic enough to make the reaction happen.
You can surely go with MENTOS as we have checked the details and are pretty sure about the answer. Moreover, we have explained the in-depth details supporting our claim to understand the experiment better.
How to experiment?
We know that mentos are the only candy that reacts to diet coke. Are you interested in experimenting by yourself? If yes, follow the steps explained below to conduct a successful experiment.
Note – The experiment is just for fun, and you can consider it a school project for a kid. We are no scientists, and this experiment will not help you with any scientific benefits.
Things you need
- A bottle of diet coke (you can use other fizzy soda, but in this particular experiment, we are focusing on diet coke)
- A few tablets of Mentos
The process
- Keep the bottle on an open and easy-to-clean surface as it will be messy
- Stand at a safe distance, drop one or two mentos tablets in the bottle and run
- That would be enough for a small eruption
- The reaction will be superfast and only lasts for a few seconds
- Please make sure you record to enjoy it later.
Keep this in mind
Some people try this experiment by pouring a lot of diet coke into a bucket or a container with a huge outlet, and of course, it won’t work. You need to have a small outlet, and the hole must be big enough to fit mentos tablets.
The coke bottle itself is the best container to experiment with. Don’t try anything extra, at least for the first time. Also, try to purchase the cheapest brand of coke for the experiment as you will waste all of it.
Precautions
Even the simplest experiments need precautions. You can follow these precautions for this one.
- Ensure a safe distance while pouring the mentos tablets if you don’t want to get dirty.
- Keep the bottles in an open space and give enough room for the eruption, or else it will expand in your entire home.
- Use at least two cameras to film from different angles. You don’t want to miss it.
- That’s it! Use glasses if you like.
The science behind the experiment?
We checked multiple resources to find the scientific reason, but scientists aren’t sure exactly why the Mentos cause such an explosive reaction. Commonly most scientists think that the sweetener and other chemicals in the Mentos react with the Diet Coke, which causes a lot of carbon dioxide bubbles to form on the surface of the mints very quickly.
Due to this, the pressure builds up in the bottle and sends a spectacular jet of bubbles shooting into the air.
What do we learn and conclude from this experiment?
Indeed, we are doing this experiment for fun and understanding the candy that reacts to diet coke. But it must conclude or else it is a waste of time. Therefore, we thought to explain the scientific benefits and conclusion about the experiment quickly.
Learnings
The fundamental understating in Layman’s terms is that the Mentos candy sinks in the bottle. As a result, it is causing the production of more and more carbon dioxide bubbles. The rising bubbles react with carbon dioxide still dissolved in the soda, which again causes more carbon dioxide to be freed and creates even more bubbles, resulting in the eruption.
The conclusion of the experiment
It shows how volcanic eruptions work in a miniature form. Some people claim the science behind the volcanic eruptions is just the same as we see inside the coke bottle. But, of course, we know it’s more than that, but the experiment is the simplest way to explain the complicated concept.
Why does it work the best with diet coke?
We researched but failed to find the exact reason behind why mentos work best with diet and coke. Most resources explain the experiment, while no one knows why it works the best with diet coke and not with regular soda.
It doesn’t mean it will be a failed experiment with sprite, carbonated drinks, or orange sodas. The experiment will still work, but the eruption will last for less time than diet coke.
You can use more mentos tablets with regular sodas to increase the effect, while only one or two mentos would be enough with diet coke. It would be fun to compare both of them. If you are trying it, please leave your experiences in the comments.
Do fruit mentos show the same results?
No, fruit mentos don’t show the same results as regular mentos. They are less acidic and release less carbon dioxide to form bubbles. That’s why fruit mentos show results, but you have to use them more in quantity.
You don’t have to try it to see the results. Many experiments with the name “fruit candy that reacts to diet coke” check them to understand concepts better.
Even you can check comments where people explain their failed experiments. So, it is an excellent source of knowledge, and you can learn a lot from the mistakes of others.
Make sure you apply your learning in your experiment to succeed in one go as it may look like an easy deal, but still, some people fail at times.
Can you use other substances instead of mentos?
Mentos is the only candy that reacts to diet coke, but it’s not the only substance to succeed in this experiment. You need any acidic substance that forms enough bubbles when it comes in contact with carbonated water.
Many consider Diet Coke the easiest option, and it’s been studied and confirmed as having the most substantial effect. However, any carbonated beverage will work. In addition, you can use baking soda, metal, ceramic spheres, and even sand other than mentos.
They all work the same. People use mentos because it’s not a scientific substance it’s readily available on the market.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
We found that most of you were full of the experiment and crossword questions. So, to help you, we researched the internet and piled up a list of the most common questions that people ask on various websites. This list surely helps you clear your doubts:
1. What candy reacts with Diet Coke crossword clue?
Mentos is the only candy that reacts with diet coke. Be it any flavor of mentos; it instantly reacts with coke to form a bubble resulting in eruption. However, fruit flavor mentos are less reactive than regular ones.
Don’t confuse yourself with any other candies. We have researched and found that no other candy reacts with diet coke. Most experiments shown in YouTube videos or blog posts used regular mentos candy.
2. What happens if you put Mentos in Coke and close the cap?
Nothing will happen. Mentos and diet coke reaction is not powerful enough to create extreme pressure that breaks the cap and makes an explosion. Possibly, the coke bottle will become tighter, and all the liquid will come out when you open the lid. Nothing happens when it’s closed.
3. Will you get a massive explosion?
No, the explosion you get is negligible that even kids can try it without any protective gear. The eruption only lasts for a few seconds.
If you want an expanded eruption, you have to increase the quantity of coke and candy that reacts to diet coke. Make sure the outlet remains of the same size as the soda bottle.
4. What happens when you mix coke and baking soda?
A giant eruption will happen better than mentos because baking soda is more reactive and shows the best results even in smaller quantities.
Some experts recommend baking soda instead of candy that reacts to diet coke, but it’s difficult to pour baking soda and run. That’s why most people prefer mentos.
5. Does Diet Coke have more carbonation than regular coke?
No diet coke has less carbonation than regular classic coke, but the level of carbonation doesn’t impact the size of the eruption. Instead, the amount of sugar makes things better.
It is probably one of the reasons why you get better results with diet coke compared to the regular ones.
6. How to explain the science behind the experiment to kids?
Kids usually don’t know the scientific causes behind the experiment. The eruption is a fun thing for them to enjoy. Let it be!
Explain to them the mentos create a lot of bubbles, and when these bubbles cannot fit inside the bottle, they come out with an eruption. That would be enough!
7. Should I take extra care while conducting the mentos and diet coke experiment?
Nothing, but make sure you tie your lace to run immediately after pouring the candy that reacts to diet coke, or else you may mess up your clothes.
The experiment is pretty simple and doesn’t require special protective equipment.
8. Is it safe to conduct an indoor experiment?
Yes, if the size of your experiment is small and you have no issues with cleaning your home after, then you can indeed conduct an indoor experiment. It’s safe.
9. What else can I use other than candy that reacts to diet coke?
You can use any acidic substance that is easy to pour into an enclosed bottle. It can be baking soda, metal objects, or even sand (of a particular type).
10. Does the mentos and coke experiment work differently in certain weather conditions?
Unlike many scientific experiments, this experiment doesn’t change reactions based on weather conditions. You will have the best possible eruption if you follow the instructions.
Be it rainy, summer, or winter, you can conduct it in any weather conditions. However, make sure your diet coke remains at room temperature or may affect the eruption level.
Final Thoughts
The candy and soda experiment are not something new for us, but it’s always a fun project to try. It started getting attention again when people searched “Candy that reacts with diet coke crossword clue.” Do we hope you got your crossword clue? Its MENTOS.
The experiment is pretty simple to conduct for anyone with no risk and too much fun. We started with telling you the answer about candy that reacts to diet coke, but there is so much to know that explains a lot more.
I hope you were able to find all your answers. Please feel free to clear your doubts in the comments. We will be happy to help.
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