system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: In a carbonated drink, how do the bubbles spontaneously appear, why don't they all escape at once.
gpt
a gas like CO2 can be dissolved in a liquid just like solid sugar or salt can be. The bubbles are CO2 coming out of solution to reform a gas. They don't all escape at once because the rate of CO2 leaving (and the rate of new CO2 entering the water) is dependent on how much CO2 is in the drink relative to the surrounding air and other factors. Under normal conditions a good deal of the CO2 (but less than they actually put into the drinks) will stay in no matter how long you let it sit.