Mentos/Diet Coke experiment - I need help

[SuperMillionaire]

I just tried to perform the Mentos and Diet Coke experiment this morning, and it failed. It was supposed to shoot out a geyser. What you supposedly have to do is take a pack of Mentos and stick it inside the opening of the bottle (after you take off the cap). I did that, and it didn't go off as planned? Why? What am I doing wrong? Can you help me get it right?

[Craig]

I think you should get out more.

[vampirepiggyhunter7]

...Put a firecracker under it?

[Resha]

Why don't you chew the Mentos first, and then see if it's more reactive? :( Or maybe try it with Diet Coke/Coke Light, which is super-fizzy. OR IF THAT DOESN'T WORK...no. No no no. My next idea is too dangerous ^___^

[Tavrobel]

You didn't shake the bottle up.

[SuperMillionaire]

I should shake the bottle up, and then put the mentos in there?

[Tavrobel]

Well, you need to shake it up at one point or another, otherwise the Carbon Dioxide has nowhere to go except up, because it isn't being moved enough to illicit a reaction. I'm not quite sure what you want to accomplish here, besides making a geyser based on hearsay and a simple understanding of liquids and gases. Seems like a waste of a perfectly good soda and pack of Mentos, but whatever floats your boat.

[SuperMillionaire]

Well, I saw this on TV and the Internet, so I figured that I try it.

[Levian]

Put it in the microwave.

[oddler]

Put it in the microwave.

Roasted minty soft drink... hmmm sounds good.

[Sylvie]

Put it in the microwave.
Roasted minty soft drink... hmmm sounds good.

More like severely exploded and dangerous soft drink.

[Mo-Nercy]

Well, I performed the experiment myself not too long ago.

It's important to have the whole stick of mentos go into the bottle at once. Apparantly a stick of 13 mentos is most reactive with a bottle of 1.25L Diet Coke. It didn't go 8 feet up in the air like the videos I saw but it was about a metre up.

I drank the remaining Diet Coke. It was just a little flat and minty.

[Moon Rabbits]

You can't keep the mentos in the package (I'm assuming this is what you did?).

Empty them all into the bottle, shake it, cap it and watch it.

EDIT: You also can't have a full bottle. I don't remember how much I had in it when I did this.

[DarkLadyNyara]

Seems like a waste of a perfectly good soda and pack of Mentos, but whatever floats your boat.
C'mon, this is diet coke we're talking about. :D I'm gonna have to try this...

[Xaven]

Diet Coke is nasty. It's only purpose in life is to erupt via Mentos.

How to do it, I'm sorry, but I can't help you. :D

[o_O]

Grind the mentos into a powder.
That gives the massive explosions like on Google Video.

[41-Inches-Wide]

There's also one tested thing about mentos+coke (first hand experience hey hey)
Chew 5 mentos for 3 secs. SWALLOW. Drink regular coke immediately.
Now feel your stomach.

[NeoCracker]

When I saw this done it wasn't with coke, but some off brand cola, did it with one mentos and it shot up higher than my head.

[Christmas]

Put it in the microwave.

[Endless]

Well, I performed the experiment myself not too long ago.

It's important to have the whole stick of mentos go into the bottle at once. Apparantly a stick of 13 mentos is most reactive with a bottle of 1.25L Diet Coke. It didn't go 8 feet up in the air like the videos I saw but it was about a metre up.

I drank the remaining Diet Coke. It was just a little flat and minty.

The geyser effect is obtained by making a hole in the cap. As they explain, you have to make a small hole, through which you can fit a string. At the end of the string, you need to put 4 mentos (as if you were making a necklace), so that you can hold the other end with the cap still in place, let the string go, the mentos all fall in the diet coke at once, and the cap is still on. The smaller the hole, the higher the geyser.

[Loony BoB]

Danielle and I were talking about doing this just the other day. It looks like good fun. :D Of course, I'd rather eat the Mentos, but yeah.

[SuperMillionaire]

I'm gonna try emptying all the mentos out and putting it into the diet coke later.

[Rengori]

Are you using a 2 liter bottle? Is the bottle fresh and hasn't been sitting out?

[SuperMillionaire]

I got the bottles yesterday, and they are 2-liters.

[starseeker]

Where can I see the vid?

[Rengori]

What the hell are you doing wrong then?

[SuperMillionaire]

I can't post up videos. And I didn't try it yet. I'll try it tonight.

[-N-]

http://forums.eyesonff.com/showthread.php?t=86607

[Endless]

Where can I see the vid?

http://www.eepybird.com/dcm1.html

[ScottNUMBERS]

I agree, you do need help.

[SuperMillionaire]

I do, indeed. I haven't tried it today. Maybe tomorrow.