Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Bellagio Fountains Recreated with Mentos and Coke

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the truly-a-worthy-expenditure-of-time dept.

Trip writes "What happens when you combine 200 liters of Diet Coke and over 500 Mentos mints? It's amazing and completely insane. The first part of this video demonstrates a simple geyser, and the second part shows just how extreme it can get. Over one hundred jets of soda fly into the air in less than three minutes. It's a hysterical and spectacular mint-powered version of the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas."

4 of 220 comments (clear)

  1. In case of /.'ing by GillBates0 · · Score: 5, Informative
    Here's one of the the Google Videos of the feat.

    A number of different groups of people seem to have attempted it as the different versions available on Google depict.

    --
    An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
  2. According to the site, it's a physical thing by Omkar · · Score: 5, Informative
    Not chemical, so it should work just as well with other sodas/nucleation devices:

    "These chemists are saying that the primary cause is physical, not chemical. Their explanation: nucleation sites. If you have a liquid that is supersaturated with gas (like soda, which is pumped full of carbon dioxide), a nucleation site is a place where the gas is able to form bubbles. Nucleation sites can be scratches on a surface or specks of dust - anywhere that you have a high surface area in a very small volume. That's where bubbles can form.

    Mentos seem to be loaded with nucleation sites. In other words, there are so many microscopic nooks and crannies on the surface of a Mento that an incredible number of bubbles will form when you drop it in a bottle of soda. Since the Mentos are also heavy enough to sink, they react with the soda all the way to the bottom. The escaping bubbles quickly turn into a raging foam, and the pressure builds dramatically. Before you know it, you've got a big geyser happening!"

  3. That... is the coolest thing ever! by HellSpam · · Score: 5, Informative

    I've seen lots of cola and mentos experiments, but that was definitely the best one. Anyone who want to know how this works: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/000 00109

  4. Pretty cool, but... by Mr2cents · · Score: 5, Informative

    Ok, the experiment is a nice one to add to the list, but it's hardly "the coolest experiment ever".. I fondly remember two tricks when I was at college:

    1: put some hydrocloric acid in an empty (plasic!!) soda bottle, add some aluminum foil, close bottle, throw away.
    The bottle will start to expand and blow up making a very loud bang.

    2: stack a tealight on top of two other tea lights, making a small pyramid. Light them and wait until the top tea light starts to fume and then the entire surface will burst to flames. Then, carefully throw a small amount of water in the top candle. You'll get a huge ball of fire 2 meters high. Nice way to make clear why you should never throw water in burning deep fryer.

    Warning: these experiments are quite dangerous, so be careful, don't put your head above the tea candles, make sure you're at least 10 meters distant from the bottle, never use a glass bottle, think it through before you begin. Use common sense.

    Any more cool DIY experiments anyone?

    --
    "It's too bad that stupidity isn't painful." - Anton LaVey