Having a Gas with Cola

The Exploratorium

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In this activity, learners measure the amount of carbon dioxide in a carbonated drink. Learners work in teams of at least two to extract, collect, and measure gas (volume) from a can or bottle of cola. Learners can also compare the volume of gas to the mass loss and determine the molarity of the CO2 in the cola.

Preparation Time:: Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:: 45 to 60 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:: $1 - $5 per group of students
Age Range:: Ages 11 - 18
Resource Types:: Activity, Experiment/Lab Activity
Language:: English

Materials List (per group of students)

Large Ziploc® bag or other type of sealable bag (1 gallon size or larger)
Can or small plastic bottle of cola (355 to 1 liter) - room temperature to slightly warm
1 one-liter Graduated cylinder (or cut open a 1 or 2 liter plastic bottle)
Large bowl or other catch basin
Nucleation source - Salt, Mentos, Lifesavers, Sugar or any other nucleation/catalyst for getting carbon dioxide out of solution

Keywords

Subjects

Mathematics
- Algebra
  - Equations and Inequalities
  - Variables and Expressions
- Data Analysis and Probability
  - Data Analysis
  - Data Collection
  - Data Representation
- Measurement
- Number and Operations
  - Fractions
Physical Sciences
- Chemistry
  - Solutions
- States of Matter
  - Liquids
  - Gases
  - Changes of Phase
- Structure and Properties of Matter
  - Mass and Weight
  - Volume and Density
The Nature of Science
- The Scientific Process
  - Conducting Investigations
  - Gathering Data
  - Formulating Explanations

Informal Categories

Food and Cooking

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

see
read
touch

Learning styles supported:

Involves teamwork and communication skills
Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

This resource is part of:

Better Living Through Chemistry Summer 2007 Activities

Access Rights:

Free access

By:

Muller, Eric