Most people know that adding a Mentos mint to a bottle of Diet Coke produces an interesting fizzing fountain. Many people have wondered if the same thing can be accomplished with other carbonated beverages.
Mentos and Carbonated Water
According to the Museum of Hoaxes, putting a Mentos mint in a bottle of carbonated water produces only a small reaction. This is because the ingredients in carbonated water are less conducive to producing the fountain that Diet Coke produces.
Why the Diet Coke?
A Mentos mint added to a bottle of Diet Coke produces a large fountain of fizz. Diet Coke is best for this activity because the caffeine, sodium benzoate and aspartame each contribute to the Mentos reaction.
Why the Fizz?
A Mentos mint causes a bottle of Diet Coke to fizz over because the irregular surface of the mint provides numerous nucleation sites for the carbonation in the Diet Coke. This rapid nucleation is what makes the Coke fizz over.