← LAB FILESLAB DOSSIER / GUIDED VIDEOENGLISH VOICEOVER · CAPTIONS · OPTIONAL SFX

PHYSICAL SCIENCE · GRADES 4–8

Mentos soda geyser

INVESTIGATION QUESTIONHow does the number of Mentos change the soda eruption height?

● ILLUSTRATIVE SCIENCE MODEL

ENGLISH CAPTIONS

Choose a safe outdoor station. A clear launch zone keeps the demonstration controlled and easy to measure.

0.0 / 3.0 s

01 / SCIENCE

What explains the result?

Many nucleation sites help dissolved carbon dioxide escape quickly; this is a physical process, not a chemical reaction.

02 / EVERYDAY CONNECTION

Where does this matter?

Nucleation and gas release are relevant to foams, boiling, and beverage packaging.

03 / MODEL LIMIT

What should you keep in mind?

Illustrative plume heights vary greatly with bottle geometry, soda temperature, and candy delivery. Run outdoors and keep clear of the plume.

Continue to the interactive experiment ↓

← LAB FILESGAS RELEASE FIELD TEST / NUCLEATION PLUMEOUTDOOR BAY 08

DEDICATED CARBON-DIOXIDE RELEASE INVESTIGATION · GRADES 5–9

Soda
geyser field

Keep the candy type and whole-piece condition fixed. Compare 2, 4 and 6 candies, then measure the plume against one marked height scale.

OPEN-BOTTLE PLUME TRACKERREADY · OUTDOORS ONLY

7 m

6 m

5 m

4 m

3 m

2 m

1 m

0 m

DIET SODA

CLEAR THE AREA BEFORE RELEASE · NEVER CAP THE BOTTLE

PEAK PLUME—

FIELD NOTEBOOK

Compare repeated trials

A run appears here after the plume. In a real investigation, repeat each candy count with a fresh bottle and identical soda volume and temperature; measure against fixed height marks.

WHY BUBBLES FORM: Carbon dioxide is dissolved under pressure in soda. Mentos’ rough surface gives gas bubbles many nucleation sites, allowing rapid degassing and pushing liquid upward. It does not create new gas by reacting chemically. The modeled heights are visual teaching values, not measured evidence.