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How to Make Mento Launchers

On their own, Mentos candy and soda pop are sweet treats for kids of all ages. Together, they are explosive. The carbonation in pop and the coating of the Mentos create a geyser shooting from a plastic bottle -- and sometimes it even achieves liftoff as a rocket. Nucleation is a physical, not chemical, reaction, and it occurs when the captive carbon dioxide bubbles have something to latch onto and foam up. You can make your own Mento Launcher on a school playground, either as a biology experiment or just for fun.

Things You'll Need

2-liter soda pop bottle
Mentos
Sheet of paper

Instructions

- 1
  Open the plastic bottle of pop and place it on a stable surface. Because this project will be messy, it's best to use diet soda and work outdoors.
- 2
  Unwrap the Mentos candy, but leave the candy stacked.
- 3
  Curl a sheet of paper so it can act as a funnel for the Mentos in the pop bottle.
- 4
  Place the bottom point of the paper slide at the mouth of the pop bottle. Place the stack of Mentos onto the paper.
- 5
  Guide the Mentos down the paper and into the pop bottle. Work quickly to get all of the candy into the bottle as soon as possible for maximum bubbling effect.
- 6
  Step back quickly from the pop bottle, as the bubbling action may spray pop.

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