Carbonated Beverages
Mentos (candy)

Why does regular Coke fizz when you shake the bottle?

Top Answer
User Avatar
Wiki User
Answered 2011-02-13 16:37:26

The previous answer was incorrect on almost all points.

We have been discussing this recently in the lab and haven't come up with a definite answer but our best idea is that when you shake it you end up getting lots of tiny bubbles stuck to the walls of the bottle through out the coke instead of all the gas being in the space at the top of the bottle. When you open the lid now the bubbles expand and escape taking a lot of the coke with them.

If the bottle has been sitting still ass the gas will be at the top of the bottle and so will escape easily. The dissolved gas can come calmly out of solution without taking the coke with it.

When a bottle of coke sits still there is a equilibrium pressure that exists between the headspace of the coke bottle and the dissolved CO2 in the coke liquid. Say there is 5 psi in the liquid and there is 5 psi in the empty space at the top of the bottle. When you crack the lid without shaking it the 5 psi pressure vents to atmosphere with the customary whish sound.

When you shake the pop you impart energy to the liquid portion of the pop which warms slightly because of the agitated liquid molecules (mostly water). You can shake a gas and not impart hardly any energy to it, but the liquid portion gains energy from your arm lifting and accelerating the denser liquid. (Sort of like why ice cream melts so fast when you stir it to become a milkshake. The energy of you stirring heats up the ice cream slightly).

Since the coke liquid heats up slightly it imparts some of its heat to the dissolved CO2 bubbles within the liquid. The pressure within the bubble which was 5 psi earlier before shaking, now increases to 6 psi within the liquid. But since the liquid and gas mixture is in a closed container, the gas bubble can't expand. The empty space above the pop still remains at close to 5 psi since the pop can't warm the CO2 space gas that rapidly, like the close intimate contact the dissolved CO2 can.

When you crack the lid after shaking the now higher pressure of the dissolved CO2 gas the now 6 psi is free to expand and does so immediately and the coke liquid is carried out with the gas expanding to atmosphere. If you leave the lid on eventually the 6 psi dissolved gas would equalize again with the lower 5psi headspace and the pop wouldn't fizz beyond the normal whish sound.

User Avatar

Your Answer


Still Have Questions?

Related Questions

Does coke have more fizz in a bottle or a can?

In a bottle because the coke in the bottle,the gas carbon dioxide to make it fizz.

Which fizzes more Diet Coke or regular coke?

Which has more fizz diet coke or regular coke

Does Diet Coke have more fizz than regular coke?

No because diet coke have more caffeine so there for diet coke does not have more fizz than regular coke......

Why does foam come out of a soda bottle when you shake the bottle?

because of the caffiene and the fizz

Which soda produces more fizz regular or Diet Coke?

which soda can produces more fizz coca-cola or diet coke

Which produce more fizz Diet Coke or regular coke?

Diet Coke is fizzier for some reason.

Why does Diet Coke fizz more than coke?

well regular coke fizzes more than diet coke because regular coke has more carbon dioxide.

Why does Diet Coke have more fizz then regular?

they put in poo

How do you make a pear rot?

you put it in a bottle of coke and fizz it up and leave it for an hour

What soda pop has the most fizz and why?

Coke has the most fizz because it has the most carbon dioxide trapped in the bottle. Root Beer has the second most. Ginger Ale has more fizz than either coke or Root Beer.

Why does a soda spew when you shake it up?

the carbonation acts up and that's the "fizz" that spews out of the bottle or can.

Does coke acid make the coke fizz?

If you shake the can then it wont only fizz and sizzle but explode because the citric acid will make the bubbles with the other ingredients will make CO2 and the solution will have no where to go but explode with a million bubbles coming out the can.

What are the ingredients in coke that make it fizz?

The gas Carbon dioxide makes coke fizz.

What is the acid that makes coke and pepsi fizz?

What is the acid that makes Coke and Pepsi fizz?

Why does Diet Coke fizz more than regular coke?

English sally: because diet has moren. me: it does not have moren liar, it has artificial sugar and more room to fizz. Espanol sugar = asucar me = yo has = tiene

When you pour soda out of a newly opened bottle which prouces more fizz regular or diet soda?

well regular soda and diet has the same amount of fizz as each other.

Does Mentos and coke blow up?

Dropping a mentos into a bottle of coke will cause it to fizz rapidly such that it will shoot about a metre or so into the air. This happens with any soda or carbonated beverage, not just coke. Some say a regular mentos in diet cola produces the best result. Do your own eperimenting, its messy, but fun. :)

Which has more fizz coke or sprite?

Sprite has the most fizz

Is coke proven to have more fizz?

no pepsi has more fizz

Which soda loses it fuzz faster coke or sprite?

To my experience. Coke loses it's fizz way slower than Sprite. From the bottle after opening, Coke lasts about a day or 2 longer than sprite.

Why does Diet Coke have the most fizz?

The reason why Diet Coke has the most fizz is because Diet Coke has the most carbonation. Diet Coke is more carbonated than any other Coke product.

How can you tell when pop goes flat?

When you drink it, there is no fizz. You can also shake an unopened bottle and look at the bubbles. If bubbles move from the bottom of the bottle to the top, the pop is not flat.

What kind of soda has more fizz Coke or Pepsi?

the same fizz

Which soda has more fizz coke or sprite?

i think that sprite has more fizz because i pour sprite and coke in a glass and i saw that sprite fizzes more then coke

What soda has the most fizz?