Love fizzing and exploding experiments?  YES!! Well, here’s another one the kids are sure to love! All you need are Mentos and coke. Put the scientific method into practice with two easy-to-set-up Mentos science experiments.  Record your results with a video camera so you can enjoy seeing the exploding fun up close (and over and over again)! Learn all about the Mentos and coke reaction!

ERUPTING COKE AND MENTOS EXPERIMENT

COKE AND MENTOS

Our Mentos and soda experiment is a fun example of a physical reaction. Read on to find out more about how this Mentos and coke reaction works.

We love fizzing experiments and have been exploring science for kindergarten, preschool, and early elementary for over 8 years now. Make sure to check out our collection of simple science experiments for kids.

Our science experiments are designed with you, the parent or teacher, in mind!  Easy to set up, and quick to do, most activities will take only 15 to 30 minutes to complete and are heaps of fun!  Plus, our supplies lists usually contain only free or cheap materials you can source from home!

Grab a packet of Mentos and some coke as well as assorted soda flavors, and find out what happens when you mix them together!  Do this activity outside to make clean-up a breeze.  Just make sure to put it on a level surface, so the cups don’t tip over.

NOTE: This experiment is a less-mess version and more hands-on for younger kids. See our Mentos Geyser version for a bigger eruption!

ALSO CHECK OUT: Pop Rocks and Soda

WHY DOES COKE AND MENTOS REACT

You might be surprised to know that the Mentos and coke eruption is an example of a physical change! It’s not a chemical reaction like how baking soda reacts with vinegar and a new substance, and carbon dioxide is formed.  So how does it work?

Well, inside the coke or soda, there is dissolved carbon dioxide gas, making the soda taste fizzy when you drink it. Usually, you can find these gas bubbles coming out of the soda on the sides of the bottle, which is why it becomes flat after a while.

Adding Mentos speeds up this process because more bubbles form on the Mentos’s surface than on the bottle’s side and push the liquid up. This is an example of a change of state of matter. The carbon dioxide dissolved in the Coke moves to a gaseous state.

In the first experiment, if the size of the Mentos is the same, you will notice no difference in the amount of foam produced.  However, when you make the pieces of Mentos smaller it will cause more bubbles to form and speed up the physical reaction. Give it a go!

In the second experiment, when you test out Mentos with different sodas, the soda that produces the most foam will likely have the most dissolved carbon dioxide in it or be the fizziest. Let’s find out!

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MENTOS AND DIET COKE EXPERIMENT #1

Do coke and Mentos work with fruit Mentos? You can do this experiment with any type of Mentos! This first experiment uses the same soda to test which variety of candy creates the most foam. Learn more about independent and dependent variables.

TIP: Mentos and coke generally produce the best results at room temperature. 

MATERIALS

  • 1 sleeve Mentos Chewy Mint candy
  • 1 sleeve Mentos Fruity candy
  • 2 (16.9 to 20 ounce) bottles of soda (diet sodas tend to work the best.)
  • Party cups
  • Video camera or smartphone with video (for replay)

HOW TO SET UP MENTOS AND SODA EXPERIMENT #1

STEP 1. To analyze the results, set up a video camera or smartphone with video capabilities to capture the experiment.

STEP 2. Prepare the candy by removing the different types from their sleeve and placing in separate cups.

STEP 3. Pour equal amounts of the same soda into two other cups.  

STEP 4. Make sure the camera is recording, and drop the candy into the soda simultaneously. One variety of candy goes into one cup of soda, and the other variety goes into the other cup of soda.

STEP 5. Analyze to see which variety of Mentos creates the most foam.  Was there any difference? 

MENTOS AND COKE EXPERIMENT #2

What type of coke reacts best with Mentos? In this second experiment use the same variety of Mentos and instead test to find out which type of soda creates the most foam.

MATERIALS

  • 3 sleeves Mentos Chewy Mint candy OR Mentos Fruity candy
  • 3 (16.9 to 20 ounce) bottles of soda in different varieties (diet sodas tend to work the best.)
  • Party cups
  • Video camera or smartphone with video (for replay)

HOW TO SET UP COKE AND MENTOS EXPERIMENT

STEP 1. To analyze the results, set up a video camera or smartphone with video capabilities to capture the experiment.

STEP 2. Choose one variety of Mentos candy to use for the experiment. Prepare the candy by removing it from the sleeve and placing one sleeve of candy into each cup.

STEP 3. Pour equal amounts of the different sodas into cups.

STEP 4. Simultaneously, drop the candy into the soda.

STEP 5. Look at the video and analyze which variety of soda creates the most foam.

EXPAND THE EXPERIMENTS, EXPAND THE FUN!

  1. Test cups, bottles, and vases of different shapes (wide at the bottom but narrow at the top, cylindrical, or directly in the soda bottles) to test whether the width of the cup makes a difference in how high the foam will shoot.
  2. Design unique ways for dropping the candy into the soda. For instance, create a tube that fits around the mouth of the soda bottle. Cut a slit into the tub that runs ¾ across the width of the tube. Slide an index card into the cut slit. Pour the candy into the tube. Remove the index card when you are ready to release the candy into the soda.
  3. Add different ingredients to the soda to test whether the amount of foam changes. For instance, we have tested adding food coloring, dish soap, and/or vinegar to the soda while adding baking soda to the cup with the candy.

MENTOS AND COKE SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT

Science projects are an excellent tool for older kiddos to show what they know about science! Plus, they can be used in all sorts of environments including classrooms, homeschool, and groups.

Kids can take everything they have learned about using the scientific method, stating a hypothesis, choosing variables, and analyzing and presenting data.

Want to turn this Coke and Mentos experiment into a cool science project? Check out these helpful resources below.

MORE HELPFUL SCIENCE RESOURCES

Here are a few resources that will help you introduce science more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident yourself when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.

MORE FUN SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS TO TRY

ERUPTING MENTOS AND COKE EXPERIMENT FOR KIDS

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