There are many myths and even scary stories around Coca-Cola, which constantly fuels interest in this drink. Experiments with "Coca-Cola" overwhelm the Internet, either creating new myths or refuting them. Many have already heard about the experiments with Mentos, however, the majority of those who want 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 experiments in which Coca-Cola and milk are combined will be a discovery for someone.
The "terrible" truth about Coca-Cola
Coke and milk are two affordable ingredients that might surprise you. The cocktail that will be obtained as a result of the experiment is a clear liquid with a precipitate. How can you get a clear liquid 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 insidebottles.
Therefore, the headlines of such articles are full of titles like "Think about what you're drinking", "Poison in a drink bottle" and so on. The scarier it sounds, the better, but a reasonable person will always look for more solid reasons and draw their own conclusions.
Performing a milk experiment
You won't need anything supernatural and hard to get, except for what you can buy in the nearest supermarket: Coca-Cola and milk. The experiment can be carried out by everyone right at home. Ingredient proportions:
- 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 with a lid. If the lid is not closed, the liquid will tend to escape during the reaction. 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 flakes form in the liquid and slowly fall to the bottom. This cereal w altz gradually lightens 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 curd has formed at the bottom. This cottage cheese, by the way, is quite edible, but hardly anyone will have a desire to eat it.
Conclusions - to drink or not to drink?
So howrefer to this clear liquid with flakes at the bottom that gives Coca-Cola and milk? In some articles you will read warnings against drinking Coca-Cola. Videos of the reaction taking place in the bottle of your favorite drink will certainly convince you that you are drinking some kind of chemical. Memories from chemistry lessons will also add to the negative, because completely inedible flakes fell out there.
In fact, everything is very simple - the components of milk react with the acid that is in Coca-Cola and precipitate. It is no secret that the aromatic drink contains phosphoric acid, which causes clotting. In the same way, the formation of cottage cheese and the separation of whey occur if the sour milk is heated. No one stops drinking milk for this reason, as it is a completely normal process.
Mentos and Coca-Cola - myth or fiction?
Surely everyone has heard about the explosive reaction of refreshing Mentos in a Coca-Cola bottle. There are even more impressive facts about what happens when you drink a bottle of Coca-Cola and eat 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 must be carried out under certain conditions, the accuracy in the choice of ingredients is also important. If everything is done correctly from the point of view of chemistry, then a gushing jar with"Coke" is provided for you.
Fixing bugs in the Mentos and Coca-Cola experience
Where do we often get "Coca-Cola" in the supermarket? Of course, from the refrigerator - this is the first mistake that makes the experience useless. The fact is that the reaction requires a warm "Cola", in a cold environment all processes slow down, and the experiment does not give the desired result.
Best conditions and ingredients:
- Low calorie Coca-Cola light (corked) at room temperature;
- Mint Mentos, preferably unglazed and uncolored.
Under the described conditions, a bottle of "Cola" turned into a stormy fountain with the help of a candy. It should be warned right away that this experience is best done outside the house, unless you are planning a general cleaning.
Chemical justification for the "explosion" in a Coca-Cola bottle
The famous "Mythbusters" on the Discovery channel did not bypass this experiment and explained how the Mentos and Coca-Cola tandem works. Experiments have shown that this is not a myth, the whole point is that the lollipop creates pockets of heterogeneity in which dissolved carbon dioxide is released with great force. The other components of the drink, such as aspartame (sugar substitute), sodium benzoate and caffeine, play a role, as well as gum arabic and gelatin in Mentos. They all combine perfectly and create a chain reaction that releases all the carbon dioxide at once. It makes from a bottleCola is a turbulent fountain that is used to create spectacular performances.
It must be said that the same "Mythbusters" dispelled rumors about possible damage (or rupture) of the stomach as a result of the use of "Coca-Cola" and "Mentos" at the same time. At least the stomach of a pig (similar to a human) as a result of introducing a cocktail into it, which included Mentos and Coca-Cola, remained safe and sound. But it is not recommended to conduct such an experiment on yourself.
