5 things you never knew about Coca-Cola
5 experiments with Coca-Cola to brighten a rainy weekend!
Safety precautions
- Perform these experiments only under adult supervision.
- Do not eat or drink anything used in the experiments!
Reagents and equipment
- Coca-Cola (classic and diet);
- sandpaper;
- glass;
- drain cleaner;
- bamboo stick;
- glass container;
- gallium;
- aluminum can;
- scalpel or sharp object (nail, knife);
- glass;
- hot water;
- hammer;
- mint dragees (Mentos);
- frying pan;
- heating device;
- glasses;
- 50g gelatin;
- saucepan;
- stationery knife;
- adhesive tape.
Step-by-step instructions
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The secret of the aluminum can: what is it hiding? Buff the top layer of paint off of an aluminum can. Open the can and use a wooden rod to suspend it in a suitably-sized beaker. Add some drain cleaner (usually a 10% sodium or potassium hydroxide solution). Observe a tumultuous reaction and release of gas. Wait two hours. Take the can out of the liquid. It would seem that the aluminum has completely dissolved, but the drink hasn't leaked out!
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Gallium vs Coca Cola can Melt gallium in hot water and apply to a closed aluminum drink can. Rub the area with a scalpel or knife. Wait a few minutes. The can bursts open!
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How to make gummy cola Pour 50g gelatin into a pan and add 0.5L cola. Stir and leave to swell for 20 minutes. Make a horizontal cut in the middle of a plastic bottle and seal it back up with tape. Then heat the mixture of gelatin and cola over medium heat (if you have a thermometer, keep the temperature at or below 60°C / 140°F) until it becomes a homogeneous liquid. Pour into the bottle, close the lid, and let sit in the fridge for 12 hours. When the time has passed, remove the tape from the bottle. Carefully cut the bottle open with a stationery knife and enjoy your jelly cola!
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Diet Coke and Mentos eruption Toss a Mentos into a bottle of Diet Coke. Observe the release of gas and formation of a spout of foam.
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How much sugar does Cola contain? Pour 200 mL of classic Coca-Cola onto a frying pan. Heat until all the liquid evaporates. Repeat the experiment in a second frying pan using Diet Coke. Notice the large quantity of black tar from the classic Coca-Cola.
Process description
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This ordinary aluminum can is concealing a devious secret – it is covered with a protective layer not only on the outside, but on the inside as well! When we remove its paint coating, we expose the aluminum, which easily reacts with a drain cleaner that contains an alkaline component. But even when the aluminum has dissolved completely, the drink will not leak out. There is a second material inside the can – a layer of plastic that keeps the drink itself from interacting with the aluminum.
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Alloys are materials which are a combination of metals and are used for their unique properties in various fields of science and technology. However, these properties aren’t always beneficial. Take, for instance, an alloy of gallium and aluminum. This alloy is very fragile and can easily be broken with your hands or under other pressure.
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Gelatin’s structural features allow it to absorb and retain water. Water molecules are relatively small and can seep into the intermolecular spaces in the gelatin. Once in the gelatin, they remain there due to the formation of hydrogen bonds.
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Mentos have a rough surface, which aids the formation of a large amount of carbon dioxide gas from the Coca-Cola on its surface. Food additives in the Cola and Mentos contribute to the formation of a large quantity of foam.
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The main ingredients of classic Cola are sugar and water. As the water evaporates, the mixture thickens and forms a black mass resembling tar, which mainly consists of caramelized sugar. Diet Coke contains sugar substitutes instead of regular sugar. These substitutes are much sweeter than sugar – even being added in tiny amounts, they make the drink every bit as sweet as the classic version.
