Here's some results from the Baker backyard, as performed by Rachel (9) and Andy (old kid):
Purchased at Kroger:
- 2 packs of mint Mentos (each a 24-pack for $0.99)
- 2 - 2L bottles of Diet Coke ($1.59 each!!)
- 2 - 2L bottles of Diet Big K Cola ($0.59 each)
Tools & items used:
- utility scraper
- scotch tape
- fishing line
- small twine-like string
- 11/64" drill bit
- cordless power drill
- 9-week-old puppy
Test 1:
Drilled a hole in the cap of a Diet BigK cola bottle.
Taped 2 mentos to end of small twine-like string.
Put 2L bottle on flat platform.
With cap removed, threaded string through cap, with mentos under cap.
Put cap back on bottle, ever so slowly.
Attempted to drop string into bottle.
String gets hung up on hole.
Results: Some fizz... 3-4" in projection... string impeded projection... Mentos dissolved slowly.
Overall results: puppy licks platform, wife gets camera, kids get wet, just enough promise to try bottle #2
Test 2:
Used the same cap in experiment #1.
Used the #2 Diet BigK Cola bottle.
Listened to Rachel, saying "we gotta cut the mentos in half to get the Coke to dissolve it faster".
Used the utility scraper to cut the Mentos in half.
Taped 4 mentos halves to string.
Inserted mentos onto cap as in test 1.
Dropped string and mentos into bottle (had to push the string a bit)
Results: lots of fizz... once string and mentos goes into bottle, got a 6-8 foot projection... puppy licks bottle, kids drink soda and don't like it... wife laughs.
Test 3:
Used the same cap as test 1 and 2
Used the #1 Diet Coke bottle.
Replaced the string with fishing line.
Taped 5 halves of mentos on fishing line.
Inserted fishing line into hole, suspending mentos above Cola, fastened cap to bottle.
Yank out fishing line, releasing mentos halves into Cola.
Results: 10-12 foot projection, just like the guys in the white suits on the video... puppy licks grass and bottle, kids get excited, Rachel and I do "high five"... wife gets the projection recorded on digital video.
Lessons learned:
Fishing line works great
Diet Big K Cola works as well as Diet Coke
Cut the Mentos in half before inserting into Cola
5 mentos halves will use up about 50% of the cola
Puppies like cola (no worries, she didn't get too many licks)
We're planning a July 4th fountain.
Andy B.