http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/00000109
click on the video link
dropping 13 mints in 2 litres of coke makes an 18 ft fountain
click on the video link
dropping 13 mints in 2 litres of coke makes an 18 ft fountain
pretty cool for summer parties...lol
erywhere in Nature.
[Demo Tank]
Demo Tank
This plastic demo tank is light and durable enough to carry your favorite science experiments from one class to the next.
Experiment: Sinking Soda Surprise
Plug the drain, fill the sink with water, and take the plunge with Steve Spangler's floating science challenge. We all know that certain things float in water while other things sink, but why? Do all heavy things sink? Why does a penny sink and an aircraft carrier floats? Think you know the answers? Well, get ready for a few amazing surprises!
Materials:
You'll need an assortment of unopened soda cans (diet, regular, brand name, generic), a large, deep container of water like a 5 gallon bucket or an aquarium
Experiment:
1. Ask your audience the question: "Will this can of regular soda float or sink in the bucket of water?" After gathering everyone's answer, place the can of regular soda in the water and notice that it sinks to the bottom. Note: If the can of regular soda floats, you might have an air bubble trapped under the bottom of the can. Make sure that you select a can of regular soda that sinks.
2. Pick up a can of diet soda and pose the same question. Be sure to point out the fact that the cans are exactly the same size and shape and contain the same amount of liquid (compare the number of milliliters... probably 355 ml). Place the can of diet soda in the water and notice that it floats! Show your audience that there are no bubbles trapped under the bottom. It still floats. Why?
3. Let your group experiment with different kinds of soda. Why do the diet sodas float and the regular soda cans sink?
How it works:
This is a fascinating demonstration, and is an excellent way to learn about density. We are all familiar with the basic concept of sinking or floating. Objects less dense than water float, and those denser than water sink. Empty cans float, rocks sink. This is only possible because of differences in density.
If both cans could be placed on a double pan balance, it would be clear that the regular soda is heavier than the diet soda. This demonstrates the difference between mass and volume. Mass refers to how much stuff exist within an object. If something is heavier than another object, it contains more mass. Mass is measured in grams.
Volume, on the other hand, refers to how much space an object occupies. For fluids, volume is usually measured in liters (L) or milliliters (ml). There are 1000 ml in one liter. Since both cans have the same volume, the heavier can must have a greater mass. We can now conclude that the heavier can is denser than the lighter can.
Diet sodas usually contain aspartame, an artificial sweetener, while regular sodas use sugar. Take a look at the nutritional information on the side of the cans. Notice how much sugar is in a regular soda (look under carbohydrates). Most regular sodas have about 41 grams of sugar. How much is 41 grams? Try 18 packets of sugar like the ones you might find at a restaurant! Diet soda is flavored with a relatively small amount of an artificial sweetener (like aspartame) which is 200 times sweeter than an equal amount of sugar. Therefore, only a tiny amount of aspartame is needed. Both sugar and aspartame are denser than water, which can be easily demonstrated by adding small amounts of each to a container of water. So it is actually a matter of how much of each is used. The 41 grams or so of sugar added to a can of regular soda makes it sink. The relatively tiny amount of aspartame used in diet sodas will have a negligible effect on the mass, enabling the can to still float.
So why then do cans of diet soda float? It is all due to the fact that there is a little bit of space, called headspace, above the fluid in each can of soda. This space is filled with gas, which is much less dense than the soda, itself. It is this space above the soda that lowers the density of diet drinks just enough to make them float. Sugared drinks still have this headspace, but the excessive amounts of sugar added makes the can denser than water.
erywhere in Nature.
[Demo Tank]
Demo Tank
This plastic demo tank is light and durable enough to carry your favorite science experiments from one class to the next.
Experiment: Sinking Soda Surprise
Plug the drain, fill the sink with water, and take the plunge with Steve Spangler's floating science challenge. We all know that certain things float in water while other things sink, but why? Do all heavy things sink? Why does a penny sink and an aircraft carrier floats? Think you know the answers? Well, get ready for a few amazing surprises!
Materials:
You'll need an assortment of unopened soda cans (diet, regular, brand name, generic), a large, deep container of water like a 5 gallon bucket or an aquarium
Experiment:
1. Ask your audience the question: "Will this can of regular soda float or sink in the bucket of water?" After gathering everyone's answer, place the can of regular soda in the water and notice that it sinks to the bottom. Note: If the can of regular soda floats, you might have an air bubble trapped under the bottom of the can. Make sure that you select a can of regular soda that sinks.
2. Pick up a can of diet soda and pose the same question. Be sure to point out the fact that the cans are exactly the same size and shape and contain the same amount of liquid (compare the number of milliliters... probably 355 ml). Place the can of diet soda in the water and notice that it floats! Show your audience that there are no bubbles trapped under the bottom. It still floats. Why?
3. Let your group experiment with different kinds of soda. Why do the diet sodas float and the regular soda cans sink?
How it works:
This is a fascinating demonstration, and is an excellent way to learn about density. We are all familiar with the basic concept of sinking or floating. Objects less dense than water float, and those denser than water sink. Empty cans float, rocks sink. This is only possible because of differences in density.
If both cans could be placed on a double pan balance, it would be clear that the regular soda is heavier than the diet soda. This demonstrates the difference between mass and volume. Mass refers to how much stuff exist within an object. If something is heavier than another object, it contains more mass. Mass is measured in grams.
Volume, on the other hand, refers to how much space an object occupies. For fluids, volume is usually measured in liters (L) or milliliters (ml). There are 1000 ml in one liter. Since both cans have the same volume, the heavier can must have a greater mass. We can now conclude that the heavier can is denser than the lighter can.
Diet sodas usually contain aspartame, an artificial sweetener, while regular sodas use sugar. Take a look at the nutritional information on the side of the cans. Notice how much sugar is in a regular soda (look under carbohydrates). Most regular sodas have about 41 grams of sugar. How much is 41 grams? Try 18 packets of sugar like the ones you might find at a restaurant! Diet soda is flavored with a relatively small amount of an artificial sweetener (like aspartame) which is 200 times sweeter than an equal amount of sugar. Therefore, only a tiny amount of aspartame is needed. Both sugar and aspartame are denser than water, which can be easily demonstrated by adding small amounts of each to a container of water. So it is actually a matter of how much of each is used. The 41 grams or so of sugar added to a can of regular soda makes it sink. The relatively tiny amount of aspartame used in diet sodas will have a negligible effect on the mass, enabling the can to still float.
So why then do cans of diet soda float? It is all due to the fact that there is a little bit of space, called headspace, above the fluid in each can of soda. This space is filled with gas, which is much less dense than the soda, itself. It is this space above the soda that lowers the density of diet drinks just enough to make them float. Sugared drinks still have this headspace, but the excessive amounts of sugar added makes the can denser than water.
