Mentos Fountain Lab

Purpose: To determine how the solubility of a gas-liquid solution varies with temperature. Materials: Chemicals 3 x 2L bottle of Coca-Cola (chilled, room temp, heated) 3 x 2L bottle of Diet Coke (chilled, room temp, heated) 6 tubes of Mentos, 12 tablets each Equipment test tube index card

Pre-lab: Define the following terms: Independent variable or manipulated variable: Dependent variable or responding variable: Controlling variable: Hypothesis: Conclusion: In the following paragraph identify the independent variable, dependent variable, control, hypothesis, and conclusion. Billy Bobb wishes to test the solubility of a solid dissolved in a liquid in his new cement pond. He suspects that increasing heat will cause more salt to dissolve. He takes two identical 100 mL samples of water from the cement pond. In the first sample he lets the water sit at room temperature (25C) and the second sample he heats on his campfire until it is 100C. He begins stirring salt into his first sample and finds that 36.2 g dissolves. He then begins stirring salt into his second sample and finds that the amount of salt that dissolves has increased to 39.2 g. He decides that yes increasing the temperature causes more salt to dissolve. Independent variable or manipulated variable: Dependent variable or responding variable: Control or controlling variable: Hypothesis: Conclusion:

Procedure: Place 12 Mentos tablets into a test tube and cover with the index card. Open the coldest bottle of Coca-Cola. In one rapid, fluid motion drop the Mentos tablets quickly into the bottle, step away, and observe the reaction. Estimate the height of the fountain and how quickly or violently the carbon dioxide tries to escape the bottle. Repeat this with the two remaining bottles of Coca-Cola using 12 Mentos each, estimate the height of the fountain and how quickly or violently the carbon dioxide tries to escape the bottle each time, and compare it to the previous trials. Place 12 Mentos tablets into a test tube and cover with the index card. Open the coldest bottle of Diet Coke. In one rapid, fluid motion drop the Mentos tablets quickly into the bottle, step away, and observe the reaction. Estimate the height of the fountain and how quickly or violently the carbon dioxide tries to escape the bottle. Compare it to the Coca-Cola at the same temperature. Repeat this with the two remaining bottles of Diet Coke using 12 Mentos each, observe the height of the fountain each time, and compare each trial to the previous trials of Coca-Cola at the same temperature and the previous Diet Coke trials at varying temperature.

Data Coca-Cola Chilled Room temperature Heated Observations

Diet Coke Chilled Room temperature Heated

Observations

Calculations: None

Conclusions:

1. Based on the observations from this experiment what could be concluded about the solubility of a gas in a liquid with increasing temperature?

2. How does this compare with the solubility of most solids in a liquid with increasing temperature?

3. What were the two independent variables tested in this experiment?

4. What was the dependent variable observed in this experiment?

5. What was the controlling variable in this experiment? 6. Given that regular soft drinks contain more sweeteners by mass than diet soft drinks, what can you conclude about the initial (pre-Mentos drop) solubility of the gas in diet drinks vs. regular drinks?

7. Given that regular soft drinks contain more sweeteners by mass than diet soft drinks, which soft drink is more likely to be a saturated solution with sweetener? Could this have an effect on the ability of the Mentos to dissolve and start undissolving the carbon dioxide?

8. Propose a new or revised independent variable to test for in this experiment. Tell me what you expect to see in the dependent variable. If I approve it you may film the test for extra credit.