How To Stop a Soda Can From Fizzing Over

Have you ever wondered why shaking a soda results in a great explosion when it’s opened? What causes a 2-liter bottle of soda to go flat? Is there anything that can be done to keep fizz in a bottle of soda?
Get ready to uncover some amazing soda secrets that will change your soda drinking habits.

Since the fizz in the soda is actually dissolved carbon dioxide gas, the goal is to keep as much of the gas in the bottle as possible. Soda fizzes when dissolved carbon dioxide gas is released in the form of bubbles.

At the bottling plant, carbon dioxide molecules are forced into the soda in an amount that is greater than would ordinarily dissolve under atmospheric conditions. As soon as you open the bottle, most of the excess gas escapes into the room – that’s a given! So, it’s your job to find a way to keep the remaining gas in the liquid.

Shaking the unopened can of soda causes bubbles of carbon dioxide to line the inside walls of the can. When you open the can, the pressure in the can goes down and the volume of each bubble goes up (Boyle’s Law). Whoosh! The quickly expanding bubbles force the liquid that rests above it out of the can.

Most people have learned to tap the top of the can before opening it. Scientifically speaking, this does nothing. The trick is to dislodge the bubbles from the side walls and bottom of the can so they can float to the top of the can (because gas is lighter than a liquid).

Once the bubbles are at the top of the can there will only be a small amount of liquid blocking their escape when you open the can. As a result, the soda doesn’t spray. Remember, snap the side instead of tapping the top.

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