• @[email protected]
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    10210 months ago

    The mentos and coke thing is a reaction between the carbonation and the rough surface of the mentos. The water would dissolve the surface rather quickly, even in ideal scenarios, and as you melt the ice, you wouldn’t be able to re-expose the surface fast enough for a meaningful reaction. Just all around an impractical plan.

    • @CaptPretentious
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      410 months ago

      If I remember right from a video back when mentos and Coke was all the rage, it wasn’t just the texture of the mentos but there was also a chemical reaction in the combination of the two is what led to the violent reaction.

          • @Blue_Morpho
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            510 months ago

            " These additives are thought to enhance fountaining by lowering the surface tension of the beverage"

            It’s a still a physical effect, not a chemical reaction. The additives allow the physical effect to happen more rapidly because the water has lower surface tension.

            • @CaptPretentious
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              -910 months ago

              So… You’re just being a pedantic ass because I said chemical reaction instead of chemical component (or something to that effect). Really…

              My general point still stands. Diet Coke creates more of a reaction with mentos then regular Coke. It is more than just nucleation points on the candy.

              • @Blue_Morpho
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                510 months ago

                It is more than just nucleation points on the candy.

                It isn’t more than nucleation points on the candy. I already provided a source. There are many more. Using a liquid that allows nucleation sites to work better doesn’t make it a chemical reaction.

                Suppose you have two liquids with different surface tension and each liquid is mixed with marbles. You pour the liquid through a strainer leaving the marbles behind. The fact that each liquid pours at different rates doesn’t make pouring the liquid a chemical reaction. It’s the same liquid before and after pouring. No chemical reaction has occured.

                https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/04/we-now-know-the-effect-of-altitude-on-classic-diet-coke-and-mentos-fountain/

                Mythbusters:

                https://youtu.be/LjbJELjLgZg?si=xErbThaPInS-n-VZ

              • @niels
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                210 months ago

                Your point was that a chemical reaction, presumably gas creating, occurs besides the already established effect. The paper you linked just mentions that some dissolved compounds can lower the surface tension which can promote bubble forming. This is not a chemical reaction and the distinction is important.

      • @Telodzrum
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        910 months ago

        That’s not correct, the surface of a single mentos provides nucleation points in abundance for the physical reaction.

      • threelonmusketeers
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        410 months ago

        Would you be able to find the video? I had never heard of this, and can’t imagine what “chemical reaction” could occur beyond the carbon dioxide simply coming out of solution.

        • @CitizenKong
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          -310 months ago

          Probably the sugar. Sugar decarbonates coke (and other sodas) pretty quickly. Add to that a container under pressure with only a small hole and you get an explosive reaction.

          • threelonmusketeers
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            610 months ago

            Sugar decarbonates coke (and other sodas) pretty quickly

            That’s still not a “chemical reaction” though. It’s just a result of the rough texture of the sugar, same as the mentos.

            • @CitizenKong
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              110 months ago

              Yeah, but it works. When she was little, my sister did it all the time because she loved soda, but only without the carbon.

            • @Cort
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              110 months ago

              Not trying to argue, but I remember doing this as a kid, and solidly remember that diet sodas worked WAY better than full sugar varieties