Impressive Science Experiments
Okay, so apparently I’m the last person in the world to have heard about this craze. Fifteen hundred rain poncho-wearing students in Belgium set a record for the largest simultaneous Mentos and Coke explosion - a chemical reaction caused by mixing the two. (Yes, those are students, not Jedis in the above photo.)
I have never tried this, but I did witness the results of mixing sulphuric acid and sugar - with a teacher in a controlled environment - very impressive to a ten year-old. Of course, I also had friends in Grade 9 who tried to make a bomb at home and were so successful one of them lost a few fingers. Not so impressive.
Have you done this Mentos and cola experiment? What other science experiments have you tried? Share your results by clicking on the No Comments/Comments link below. Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is COLAEXPLOSION. It’s valid until April 26th.
April 24th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Yup been there tried that. I’ve just about made anything you can think of when I was young. I’ve blown up Barney about 5 times, although explosives were involved I assure you safety was the top priority, no one was ever injured. But my all time favorite was a working cannon I made in shopclass in highschool. After I had it graded, I modified it into a working cannon. It had amazing range and impact on a brickwall was impressive to say the least. Now B4 you wonder how no one was injured or property damaged, I must point out growing up in the country has it’s advantages most city kids miss out on. With no one around for miles you can get away with alot LOL. Only time the police ever showed up was when we set off our “BunkerBuster” a modified oil drum bomb, that was heard everywhere in a 10 mile radius. ah fun fun fun
Carly’s Note: Your parents must have been so proud.
April 24th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Hey Carly, no I haven’t tried this. But on a similar note, back in the day when Pop Rocks were first introduced we would eat those while drinking Coca-Cola. Recently I think pop rocks have resurfaced, only now, they’re mixing them in chocolate…cue Homer Simpson, mmmmmmmmmm chocolate.
Lee Ann
Carly’s Note: Chocolate and pop rocks? Sounds strange, but I’ll pretty much try anything that is coated in chocolate.
April 24th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Wow, that is such a cool picture. It looks like so much crazy fun, I wish I was there!
I don’t have any of my own science experiments to share - I’d rather not remember the day we disected a frog. Such a useful experiment - I don’t know how I would have gotten through life without it…
But speaking of frogs and explosive experiments, when my brother (then 10 or 11ish) got bored with experimenting blowing up his model cars with fire crackers, he wanted to know what would happen if he did the same thing with frogs - just for scientific research of course…
Carly’s Note: We dissected a frog and a fetal pig. The kid who wanted to be a doctor is the one who got naseous.
April 24th, 2008 at 11:34 pm
Is it regular Coke or Diet Coke that they used in the picture? I’ve often wondered if regular Coke would work, or if Pepsi or Diet Pepsi would work as well. What about other fizzy soft drinks like Sprite or 7Up or even Dr. Pepper? I say you use some of Mr. Rogers’ money and buy some Mentos and a bunch of different carbonated drinks so we can do our own little experiments.
By the way, check out this Mentos/Diet Coke bottle rocket on YouTube. They combined the two, slammed the bottle on the ground, and the thing flew over the house! These guys are lucky that the bottle didn’t slam into a window, otherwise they wouldn’t have been laughing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkkOUPYNs7I
Hmmm… all this talk about soft drinks is making me thirsty now. LOL
Carly’s Note: The article just said Coke, but I’ve heard from reliable sources that Diet Coke works better.
April 25th, 2008 at 7:23 am
I guess drinking the cola and eating a mentos would make for a pretty good “cleanse”….
Carly’s Note: Good point.
April 25th, 2008 at 7:51 am
Yup done the Menthose and Diet Coke a few times. Set up a few from my nephew as well.
Ones I have done, put a $20 inside a drinking straw (No not the McDonalds ones, a standard straw you get a bar) makes a great tip for a waitress. Wait does this pass or fail the sever test?
Put a $5 bill through a lemon/lime (also a good bar trick)
One that I heard while at university, was can of shaving cream large envelope some duct tape, and fist year Calculus text book (Ok any heavy book). Fill envelope, put opening under dorm room door, duct tape envelope to door and floor. Drop calculus text book. What was thought to be a small puddle inside the door turned into a very good splatter (Note Pressure is force over area).
Here is a money maker for you, two decks of cards, shuffle, and bet the person that if you play “war” style game (flip one card at a time) there will be at least one perfect match come up. Odds are 2:1 in favour of it happening.
Wombat
m^*^m
Carly’s Note: You certainly have a creative mind. Glad you were on our side during the Cold War!
April 25th, 2008 at 8:52 am
When I was a kid in school we used to put sweet tarts in bottles of RC Cola with similar results. Usually the owner of said RC cola was unaware of the sweet tart drop… until it was too late.
Carly’s Note: Usually the unsuspecting victim was wearing white that day.
April 25th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Carly: I guess you don’t check your fellow bloggers. Jeff Chalmers did this in his backyard some time ago.
Carly’s Note: I must admit, I don’t keep up with Jeff’s antics on a daily basis. I’m not surprised that he would try it, though. Jeff Brown says he’s done it, too.
April 25th, 2008 at 10:35 am
Very Cool!!!
Carly’s Note: Agreed!
April 25th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
What would happen if I showed up at Jack FM coated in chocolate, Carly? LOL
Carly’s Note: Maybe I should re-phrase that…
April 25th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Damn Louie, A+ for creativity, can’t blame a brother for trying. Yes Carly, I wouldn’t have thought pop rocks and chocolate would go. My friend’s hubby shops regularly grocery shops (yes, her hubby grocery shops, cooks etc…w.t.f., did they only make one like him, not fair!) at a grocery store in their neighbourhood and they had a bunch of these taste sensations left over from Christmas, so they gave him a bunch. They were actually pretty good! But I’m a chocoholic, so *being careful here* there isn’t much I wouldn’t try.
Today we find our Lee Ann again at the library, next to a dude who’s having a rather good conversation with the computer. He’s by himself, and hasn’t stopped chattering since he sat down…
Enjoy your weekend!
L. A.
Carly’s Note: I must admit, since living alone again I have started talking to myself, even in public thereby guaranteeing that I will live alone for the rest of my life.
April 25th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
“Carly’s Note: Your parents must have been so proud.”
You don’t actually think I ever told them do you? that would be suicide, she would hurt me, LMAO . She still thinks of me as the good son, and I would just hate to burst her bubble
Carly’s Note: So you were crafty enough to never get caught? Wow. Your mother should be extra proud - and she doesn’t even know it!
April 28th, 2008 at 8:40 am
Ok so now we’ve all seen the coke/mentos phenomenon. But have you seen the mountain due phenomenon???
it’s creepy, it glows, and from what I’ve heard the reaction produces enough light to change a tire by. Check it out there are too many videos to choose just one.
-Sam
Carly’s Note: Thanks for the tip.
April 28th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Trust me Carly, I do the same, but not the in public thing. Although I’ve “oh for eff sakes” at the bank machine. You know how it is - it’s your turn, you get to the machine only for the wizard of oz standing directly behind it, and whom I have every faith is watching during that little camera, at that moment decides it’s time for the machine to have it’s daily tune-up? And suddenly it’s “out of service”…But you know what, if people think you’re batty, they’ll leave you the heck alone
Lee Ann
April 30th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Outta sight, man…GREAT pic!!
Carly’s Note: Yeah, cool, huh?