Shake that can of fizzy drink!

Have you ever heard someone say, "Please don't shake that can of Sprite! The fizzy drink will overflow when you open it!" Have you every wondered why a bottle of coke taste flat after you have opened it? 


Materials:

• 1 can of unopened fizzy drink 

Steps:
1. Shake a sealed can of fizzy drink vigorously.
2. Use your finger to tap the SIDE of the can. Turn the can 90 degrees and tap the side of the can again.
3. Tap the side of the can a few times before opening it
4. Open the can and observe what happens. The gas will simply escape and the liquid will not "explode" out of the can.


Teacher Serena's Explanations:
The fizz in the drink is dissolved carbon dioxide gas. When the fizzy drink is bottled or canned, carbon dioxide molecules are forced into the fizzy drink in an amount that is greater than under normal conditions. 


When we shake the can of fizzy drink, it causes the bubbles of carbon dioxide to line the inside walls of the can. When the can is opened, according to Boyle's Law, the pressure in the can decreases and the volume of each bubble goes up. The expanding bubbles force the liquid out of the can, hence we see an "explosion". 


When we tap the sides of the can, we are dislodging the bubbles from the sides and bottom of the can so that they can float to the top of the can. This is possible because a gas is lighter than a liquid. Once the bubbles are at the top of the can, only a small volume of liquid will block their escape when we open the can. Thus the fizzy drink does not "explode".


~ Serena's Greenhouse