Interactive Soda Pop Science Experiments For Kids

What is not to love about soda pop?  At least for science experiments.  It bubbles, fizzes, and explodes.  There are so many different flavors.  Is there a difference between regular and diet?  Adding soda pop experiments will spark excitement in your students.  Many are very easy to set up.  Below is a list of our favorite soda pop science activities that cover everything from density to physical reactions.

Each description includes a link to learn more so you can start integrating these classic activities.

1.  The Floating Egg Test

You can't go wrong with this experiment.  Adding a raw egg takes it to another level.  This is a wonderful experiment that makes science accessible and fun.  The basic experiment uses water, salt, and a raw egg.  Adding in soda pop expands the concept.  Soda pop contains sugar, which makes it denser than water.  This allows students to make comparisons.  Diet soda does not contain sugar, so it is less dense than regular soda pop.  As students investigate, they will discover that more sugar must be added to the diet soda to get the egg to float.  What a wonderful way to help students understand the difference between artificial sweeteners and sugar.

2.  The History Of Pop Rocks Candy

Pop Rocks are an interesting candy because they contain carbon dioxide gas. When you eat them, the candy bursts in your mouth. When the candy first came out, a rumor started that if you ate them while drinking soda pop, your stomach would explode.  This, of course, is not true.  The rumor actually stopped the production of Pop Rocks for a period of time.  Students can test this theory using pop rocks, soda pop, and a balloon.  It will produce curiosity and help students understand that it is a physical reaction.

Typically, I give my students some balloons, a couple 16-oz bottles of diet soda, water, safety goggles, and some Pop Rock packages. I let them devise tests to see if the combination could cause their stomachs to explode. Most fill the balloon with Pop Rocks and attach it to the soda bottle. They shake the Pop Rocks into the bottle and observe how much the balloon expands. They also compare it to plain water. They find that Pop Rocks really do not contain much carbon dioxide. It just feels that way in your mouth. Soda Pop contains much more gas.  Scroll to the bottom of the blog to find a ready-to-go activity exploring this concept.

3.  Dancing Candy Hearts or Dancing Raisins

You will most often see this experiment done with raisins.  Raisins work wonderfully.  If you can get the right candy hearts, they are a nice step up for Valentine's Day.  This experiment actually teaches the science of life jackets.  In the younger grades, students can learn the terms sinking, floating, and rising.  The older grades can easily expand to learning about buoyant force and density.  We love it as a class science fair project.  Clear soda pop is best for this activity.  You need to see the hearts or raisins.  Students can also test different objects.  We have found that popcorn kernels and broken spaghetti work well.  You can also compare diet with regular soda.  Diet soda contains more fizz, but regular soda has a stronger buoyant force. Click the image to learn the science of this classic experiment.

 4.  Mentos and Diet Coke Geysers

How can we not have this on the list?  The Mentos candy fit perfectly into the bottle to create an amazing eruption.  This experiment is for the outdoors, but there are ways you can discover the science behind the geyser to make it a complete unit.  There are also a lot of misconceptions about the science.  Many refer to it as a chemical reaction, but it is not.  Students will be able to dive right into the science while uncovering many of their misconceptions.  Click the image to learn the complete science and why we love this activity.

We hope you found a great activity with soda pop to add to your classroom.  Hopefully, you found more than one.  Making science memorable will help reinforce concepts and provide a positive scientific experience.  Below are ready-to-go activities with student worksheets and teacher guides to save you planning time.

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