Around "Coca-Cola" there are many myths and even scary stories, which constantly fuels interest in this drink. The Coca-Cola experiments overwhelm the Internet, either creating new myths or refuting them. Many have already heard about the experiments with the "Mentos", however, most of those who wanted to repeat them at home did not succeed. We will try to explain the main reason for these failures from the point of view of physics. But the experiments in which Coca-Cola and milk are combined will be a revelation for someone.
The "terrible" truth about Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola and milk are two available ingredients, a combination of which may surprise you. The cocktail that results from the experiment is a clear liquid with sediment. How can a clear liquid come from dark Coca-Cola and white opaque milk? Often, such materials on the Internet carry anti-propaganda about the use of cola. This is not at all surprising, because during the experiment you can see unaesthetic processes inside the bottle.
Therefore, the headings of such articles are full of titles like "Think about what you are drinking," "Poison in a bottle of a drink," etc. The worse it sounds, the better, but a reasonable person will always look for more compelling reasons and draw conclusions.
We conduct a dairy experiment
You will not need anything supernatural and inaccessible, except what can be purchased at the nearest supermarket: Coca-Cola and milk. An experiment can be carried out by anyone who wants it right at home. Proportions of ingredients:
- a bottle of Coca-Cola 0.5l;
- milk 50 gr.
We take a bottle of Coca-Cola and gradually pour milk into it, and then cork it with a lid. If the lid is not closed, then during the reaction the liquid will tend to go outside. We leave the bottle for 2–2.5 hours and calmly go about our business or observe the course of events.
During the experiment, you will see how flakes form in the liquid and slowly fall to the bottom. This waltz of cereal gradually brightens Coca-Cola, making it more and more transparent. At the end of the appointed time, we find that the liquid in the bottle has become completely transparent, and an unappetizing coffee-colored cottage cheese has formed at the bottom. This cottage cheese, by the way, is quite edible, but it is unlikely that anyone will have a desire to eat it.
Draw conclusions - drink or not drink?
So what about this clear liquid with cereal at the bottom that gives Coca-Cola and milk? In some articles, you will read warnings about using Coca-Cola. Videos with the reaction taking place in a bottle of a drink that many people love will surely convince you that you are drinking a certain chemical. Memories from chemistry lessons will also add negativity, because completely inedible flakes precipitated there.
In fact, everything is very simple - the components of milk react with the acid, which is located in Coca-Cola, and precipitate. It is no secret that in the composition of the aromatic drink there is phosphoric acid, which causes coagulation. Similarly, the formation of cottage cheese and the separation of whey occurs if acidified milk is heated. No one stops drinking milk for this reason, since this is a completely normal process.
Mentos and Coca-Cola - myth or fiction?
Surely everyone heard about the explosive reaction of the refreshing Mentos candies in a bottle of Coca-Cola. There are more impressive facts about what happens if you drink a bottle of Coca-Cola and seize it with mint Mentos.
So, many undertook to conduct such an experiment and did not see anything at all. There is a suspicion that these stories are nothing more than a myth. The reason is that any experiment should be carried out under certain conditions, accuracy in the choice of ingredients is also important. If everything is done correctly from the point of view of chemistry, then a gushing can with "Cola" is provided to you.
We correct errors in the experience with Mentos and Coca-Cola
Where do we often get Coca-Cola from the supermarket? Of course, from the refrigerator - this is the first mistake that makes the experience useless. The fact is that a warm Cola is needed for the reaction, in a cold environment all processes are slowed down, and the experiment does not give the desired result.
The best conditions and ingredients:
- Low-calorie Coca-Cola light (clogged) at room temperature;
- Mint Mentos, preferably glazed and unpainted.
Under the conditions described, a bottle of "Cola" was transformed with the help of a candy into a stormy fountain. It is immediately necessary to warn that such an experiment is best done outside the home, unless you are planning a general cleaning.
Chemical justification of the "explosion" in a bottle of Coca-Cola
The famous "Mythbusters" on the Discovery channel did not pass this experiment and explained how the tandem "Mentos" and "Coca-Cola" work. Experiments have shown that this is not a myth, the whole point is that the lollipop creates foci of heterogeneity in which dissolved carbon dioxide is released with great force. The remaining components of the drink, such as aspartame (sweetener), sodium benzoate and caffeine, play their role, as well as gum arabic and gelatin in the "Mentos". All of them are perfectly combined and create a chain reaction that immediately releases all carbon dioxide. This makes the Cola bottle a stormy fountain that is used to create spectacular performances.
I must say that the same "Mythbusters" dispelled rumors about possible damage (or rupture) of the stomach as a result of using Coca-Cola and Mentos at the same time. At least, the pig’s stomach (similar to a human one) as a result of making a cocktail in it, which included Mentos and Coca-Cola, remained safe and sound. But conducting such an experiment on oneself is not recommended.