A quantitative titration of the amount of magnesium hydroxide in milk of magnesia using only items purchased in grocery and retail stores is reported. Either vinegar or a solution of food grade citric acid serves as the titrant, while food dyes advertised as being extracted from natural sources provide the end-point indicator. An inexpensive,…

This article reports on a new device, called a geyser guide, that allows for quantitative measurements of both bubble sizes and kinetics of foam production in the so-called Diet Coke and Mentos experiment. The device is easily constructed, is made using readily available materials, and allows the experiment to be carried out indoors with no mess.…

Carbonated beverages have long provided chemical educators and other teachers of science with an easy-to-obtain system that connects to several physicochemical concepts. For example, many educators have devised experiments to determine the pressure of CO[subscript 2] contained in commercial carbonated beverages, but the role of temperature in such…

When Mentos candies are dropped into a bottle of Diet Coke, a foamy fountain jets out of the beverage container. It has previously been argued that ingredients found in Mentos candies significantly enhance this fountaining effect. Other previous work has demonstrated that the kinetics of foam production can be quantitatively monitored using a…

The so-called Diet Coke and Mentos experiment is initiated by dropping Mentos candies into a bottle of Diet Coke or other carbonated beverage. This causes the beverage to rapidly degas, causing foam to stream out of the bottle. Simple application of the gas laws leads to the straightforward prediction that ejection of greater foam volume is…

An experiment is described that uses easily obtained materials (glow sticks, chalk, and acetone or alcohol) to separate the dyes contained in glow sticks that actively emit chemiluminescent light. The experiment is very easy to carry out, making it amenable for students to perform in laboratory or outreach settings. The separation occurs fast…