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The microscopically irregular surface of a Mentos allows the CO2 in the soda to go out of solution (change phase from liquid to gas) when the pressure in the bottle is relieved. It's a change in energy level, and the nucleation sites are safe havens for the process until enough CO2 collects to form a bubble, which shoots up the bottle and out and all over your unsuspecting friends. The process is a physical change, not a chemical change. The sinking Mentos provides for a long process and lots of fun.
For more, see The Straight Dope.
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What is a factor governing nucleation?
In igneous rock formation, the viscosity of magma can govern nucleation. If atoms are mobile in a fluid magma, they are free to nucleation. If the magma is viscious and doesn't flow, then atoms can't move to the nucleation site. Poor nucleation and rapid cooling can lead to a glassy texture in igneous rocks.
What is a supercooled solution?
A supercooled solution is a liquid that has been cooled below its normal freezing point without solidifying. This can occur when the solution lacks impurities or nucleation sites for crystal formation. Upon disturbance or introduction of a nucleation site, the solution rapidly solidifies into a crystal.
Why do crystals grow better on coal?
Crystals can grow better on coal because coal has a rough surface, providing more sites for crystal nucleation and growth. The impurities and imperfections in coal can also act as nucleation sites for crystal growth, promoting the formation of larger and more defined crystals. Additionally, the chemical composition of coal may provide specific conditions conducive to the growth of certain types of crystals.
What is the Purpose of boiling stone?
So you can see a substance is boiling in a container made of smooth glass.added to liquids to make them boil more smoothly mainly in distillation. They provide nucleation sites so the liquid boils easily without becoming superheated.
What is the balanced chemical equation for mentos and soda?
The reaction between Mentos (containing nucleation sites) and soda (containing carbon dioxide) is a physical reaction that causes the rapid release of carbon dioxide gas. This reaction is not a chemical reaction, so there is no balanced chemical equation for it.
What is a nucleation site?
A nucleation site is a location where the process of nucleation begins, leading to the formation of a new phase or a new crystal structure. It provides a surface for molecules to come together and form a stable nucleus, which then grows into a larger structure. Nucleation sites are important in many physical and chemical processes, such as crystallization and phase transitions.
How does Nucleation sites provide a place for the carbon dioxide gas to escape the solution?
it fizes then sprouts out the top
Why do the bubbles grow on the wall of the glass?
Bubbles form on the walls of a glass due to nucleation sites, small imperfections or debris that provide a surface for gas to collect and form bubbles. The bubbles grow in size as more gas is released or dissolved in the liquid and collects at these nucleation sites.
What is in mentos that make it explode in soda?
Mentos fizz because of the nucleation sites on the surface of the Mentos. These are basically microscopic holes and when it comes into contact with the coke all of the dissolved carbon dioxide condenses and form bubbles that wear away layers of the mentos where more nucleation sites are accessible by the carbon dioxide.
How do nucleation sites provide a place for the carbon dioxide gas to escape the solution?
Nucleation sites provide a surface for gas bubbles to form and grow, allowing the carbon dioxide to escape the solution. When gas molecules come into contact with these sites, they can accumulate and form bubbles due to reduced solubility at the site, ultimately leading to the release of the gas from the solution.
Why does nucleation happen?
Nucleation is realized on surfaces with centers of nucleation, which are imperfections of the surface; nucleation consist of the agglomeration of gas molecules to form evolving bubbles of gases.
What is a nucleation?
A nucleation site is a thing that starts bubbles in a soda
What is the physical reaction of nucleation?
Nucleation is a physical reaction that is best explained using the example of Mentos in Coke. More information on the reaction of nucleation can be found on websites such as Wikipedia and Wise Geek.
How does nucleation happen?
Nucleation consist in the agglomeration of many very small particles to form a new phase.
What is a factor governing nucleation?
In igneous rock formation, the viscosity of magma can govern nucleation. If atoms are mobile in a fluid magma, they are free to nucleation. If the magma is viscious and doesn't flow, then atoms can't move to the nucleation site. Poor nucleation and rapid cooling can lead to a glassy texture in igneous rocks.
Where does boiling occur?
Boiling occurs on the surface of a liquid that has reached its boiling point. This also includes on the surface of any imperfections in the water, known as nucleation sites. These imperfections in water are often harmless, and are any other small particles that are in it. These imperfections are responsible for the rolling surface of a boiling pot of water. The water at a nucleation site expands into a gas, and bubbles to the surface of the water. In a perfectly distilled pot of water, in a perfectly smooth sided pot (tiny microscopic scratches in the surface of a pot can be nucleation sites too) the water would only steam at the surface, and no bubbles would form in it.
What is a supercooled solution?
A supercooled solution is a liquid that has been cooled below its normal freezing point without solidifying. This can occur when the solution lacks impurities or nucleation sites for crystal formation. Upon disturbance or introduction of a nucleation site, the solution rapidly solidifies into a crystal.
