Student is preparing to explode the Mentos/Coks
Activity

The Monstrous Mentos Explosion

For his science project, Chris wanted to make something explode. A Mentos/Coke explosion was chosen and enjoyed by all who participated.

For his science project, Chris, a student at Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, wanted to make something explode.  A  Mentos/Coke explosion was chosen and enjoyed by all who participated. 

Question

Which types of Mentos, fruit or mint, will cause the largest explosion with Diet Coke?

Hypothesis

The fruit mentos will have the biggest explosion, when using Diet Coke.

Materials

  1. 1 package fruit mentos
  2. 1 package mint mentos
  3. 2  two liter bottles of Diet Coke
  4. One geyser tube to drop the mentos into.
  5. Adapted beaker
  6. Goggles
  7. Lab aprons
  8. 100 ml beaker – adapted

Procedure

  1. Have all participants put on goggles and aprons.
  2. Put 7 mint mentos in the geyser tube.
  3. Set up the Diet Coke bottle and carefully open it.  Save the lid to the close the bottle after the explosion.
  4. Have a helper hold the Coke bottle still.
  5. Screw on the geyser tube to the bottle.
  6. Carefully release the lever so the mentos can drop in to the bottle.
  7. Prepare for explosion.
  8. After the explosion, put the cap on the Diet Coke.
  9. Repeat steps 2-8 with fruit mentos
  10. Take the Diet Cokes back to the lab.
  11. Using beaker, measure how much is left in each bottle after the explosion.
  12. Record the data.
  13. To figure out much liquid exploded for each trial, subtract your measurements from 2,000 ml.
  14. Analyze your data and draw a conclusion.
Pouring diet Coke into beaker
Pouring Diet Coke into beaker

Data

Fruit and Mint Mentos Information

Results:  

Calculations: 

Conclusion

My hypothesis was right the fruit mentos did have the biggest explosion and the mint mentos didn’t.

Variations

NGSS Standards:

By Laura Hospitál

collage of monstrous mentos explosion

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