Mentos Geyser Tube

The Geyser Tube™ is a loading tube for the now famous Diet Coke geyser powered by MENTOS®. If you've ever tried doing the experiment, you know how difficult it can be to drop the MENTOS® into the bottle before the reaction takes off... and you're soaking wet. The Geyser Tube will give you a perfect launch every time with time to stand back.

Secure the trigger pin in place. Load the MENTOS® into the tube, lock the special pressurizing nozzle in place and pull the pin.

Oh, by the way, it's best to pull the pin and then run away. The string on the pin allows you to pull the pin from a distance (if you're concerned about getting wet!) The MENTOS® drop into the bottle and the powerful soda geyser comes shooting out the top with enough pressure to reach an incredible height of 30 feet. That's a record!

If you've never tried this amazing soda experiment, the Geyser Tube™ will give you a perfect launch every time. If you're a MENTOS® geyser pro, you'll quickly see how to use this device to make the most out of this cool science demo.

Now Introducing 3 new Geyser Tube Caps: Fountain, Fan, or Runaway

What's included?

• Geyser Tube
• Roll of MENTOS® chewy mints
• Instructions for creating the ultimate soda geyser

• Geyser Tube
• 3 new caps called Fountain, Fan, & Runaway
• Roll of MENTOS® chewy mints
• Instructions for creating the ultimate soda geyser

How does it work?

Speaking to large crowds of buyers in New York, Steve Spangler shared a condensed history of the original geyser experiment. "Science teachers have been doing this experiment for years and years, but the original method used Wintergreen Lifesavers. When the manufacturer of the candies changed the diameter making them larger than the opening of the 2-liter bottle, teachers went looking for a substitute." Steve explained that MENTOS® candy did the trick, but dropping them into the bottle and getting away before being covered in soda was difficult. "That's why we created the Geyser Tube. Now you get a perfect drop every time without getting drenched."

What does it teach?

Watch the original video from 2005 that started the sensation.

Experiment:

1. You’ll need a 2-liter bottle of diet soda (diet doesn’t make a sticky mess) and an outdoor location for your geyser. Select a flat surface on the lawn or driveway to place the bottle.?
2. Start by tying one end of the string to the trigger pin (the string might already be attached to the pin).
3. Open the bottle of soda and attach the Geyser Tube. Put the trigger pin into the hole at the base of the Geyser Tube.
4. Twist off the top cap on the Geyser Tube and drop 7 MENTOS® candies into the tube. The trigger pin will keep the candy from falling into the soda… before you’re ready. Replace the twist-on cap.
5. Warn everyone to stand back. Countdown… 3-2-1… and pull the trigger. The MENTOS will drop and the soda will go flying into the air!? 6. Pour out the remaining soda and take a look at the MENTOS®. You can see where the soda has eaten away at the surface of the candy. No need to waste the candy… they still taste great.

Take the Taste Test
You’ll notice that there is still some soda left in the bottom of the bottle. Twist off the Geyser Tube and taste the soda. Beside tasting minty fresh, you’ll probably notice that all of the bubbles of carbon dioxide are gone. The soda is flat. Very interesting!


The Science Behind the Fizz
What made the soda shoot up so much higher? You already know why the soda erupts (if you forgot, re-read the explanation part of the previous experiment called The Original MENTOS® Geyser). Look closely at the cap on top of the Geyser Tube. Do you notice the small hole in the top? That’s the secret! The smaller hole caused the soda to build up more pressure and the result was a 20 to 30 foot soda geyser.

You may have also noticed the clear plastic sleeve that slides back and forth on the Geyser Tube. When you pull the pin, the sleeve drops down to cover the two holes at the bottom of the Geyser Tube where the pin used to be. Without the sleeve, lots of soda shoots out from the two holes and keeps the geyser from going higher. Steve Spangler worked on many ways to keep the soda from shooting out of the holes and the sleeve method is the one he liked the best (and so did the attorneys who filed the patent for the Geyser Tube).


The Geyser Tube™ is a Steve Spangler Science creation. Patent Pending.
MENTOS® is a registered trademark of Perfetti Van Melle B.V.

---

Geyser Tube - Bring some explosion back to the Science Fair! The Geyser tube is great way to find out how to get the highest MENTOS® and Diet Coke geyser!

How to make the Geyser Tube into a science fair project:
Examples of Independent Variables: (choose only ONE independent variable to test)

• Temperature of the Soda -
  • Start up question - What temperature gives you the biggest eruption?
  • Variation to the independent variable: cold, chilled, warm, or hot soda
• Number of MENTOS® -
  • Start up question - Which number of MENTOS® gives you the biggest eruption?
  • Variations to the independent variable: one MENTOS®, 2,3,4,5...11 MENTOS®, etc.
• Type of Soda -
  • Start up question - What type of soda gives the biggest eruption?
  • Variations to the independent variable - cola, root beer, lemon-lime, etc
  • *Note: use either regular or diet soda, not both
• Regular or Diet Soda -
  • Start up question - Does diet soda really get the bigger eruption?
  • Variations to the independent variable - Diet Soda / Regular Soda

Product FAQ

• Will I get wet?
  There is a possibility but the geyser tube device is designed to minimize the likelihood of getting wet, especially with the 3-foot long string.
• Is it reusable? 
  Yes, all you need to do the experiment again is another pack of Mentos and a new bottle of Diet Coke.
• How high does it shoot? 
  It all depends on the bottle of Diet Coke; a new bottle works better than one that has been sitting around for a while.  On average though, it shoots to a little over 20 feet.
• What type of soda works best?
  We have experimented with all types of soda and the soda that gave us the best results was Diet Coke due to having the most carbonation.  However, any soda or carbonated beverage will work.
• Does it hold the entire roll?
  No, the maximum that the tube holds is 11.  The roll is 14 so you can snack on the other three!!  We found that 7-10 Mentos produces the highest Geyser.