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>> [Music] >> Kyle: Hey Jamie, hand me that soda over
there. I’m thirsty. Aw but I hate warm soda. I’m going to go down to the freezer and
try to cool it off a little bit. >> Bridget: Wait! Haven’t you ever heard
what happens when you put soda in freezer? >> Kyle: No, why? What happens?
>> Bridget: Well it explodes and it makes a big mess everywhere.
>> Kyle: So if you’re saying if I put this in the freezer it’s going to explode—that’s
a perfect myth to test! Why don’t we grab an ice-chest, put some dry ice into it, put
the cans in it, and simulate a freezer situation... >> Bridget: Yea, it should be a blast.
>> Narrator: This experiment is called Soda “Pop.”
>> Narrator: The myth for this experiment it that soda kept in the freezer for too long
will cause it to explode. We will be using both a soda can and a soda bottle. In order
to test this, freezer conditions will be simulated by using an ice-chest. For cold temperatures,
we will use dry ice which is solid CO2. It can undergo a phase change from a solid to
a gas, called sublimation. It is solid at a temperature of about a chilling -109 degrees
Fahrenheit. The ice will be placed in the box along with the soda can. The cool temperature
of the ice will bring the cool temperature of the can down and its contents down. Additionally,
soda is comprised of about 90 percent water. When water is frozen, the water molecules
form a rigid, crystalline structure. This structure takes up more space than free, moving
water molecules. The prediction is that this ice expansion will be greater than the volume
of the can and cause it to explode. There will also be a soda bottle placed in the ice
chest. The soda bottle, however, is made of plastic. So as the water freezes and the crystalline
structure expands, we predict the bottle not to explode due to its flexibility. Lastly,
we will equip the lid of the ice-chest with a light and a camera to capture all the action.
>> Bridget: Alright, so for this experiment we made a mock-up freezer, here; we filled
it up with dry ice. Dry ice has a temperature of about -109 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas
a typical freezer has a temperature range from 20-30 degrees Fahrenheit. We’re going
to kick it up a notch for this one. >> Kyle: So in this experiment, we are taking
a can of soda and also a bottle of soda; we are going to place them both in the dry ice
and see which one is going to explode first. Our prediction is that the can will explode
first because there is no room to expand, whereas the plastic has room to expand.
>> Kyle: Folks, do not try this at home. We are trained professionals which is why we
have gloves and goggles on. >> Bridget: Yea, with dry ice you want to
be particularly careful because it is solid CO2 and it sublimates quickly at a very low
temperature into a gas, and without the proper gloves you can get frostbite.
>> Kyle: To catch all the action of the cans exploding we have a lid set up here with a
camera on top. We can get a great picture with an overhead shot of all the cans exploding.
>> [Explosion sound] >>
>> >> Kyle: So as you can see the can exploded
making a mess everywhere. So when the water inside the soda freezes, the molecules form
a crystal lattice causing the can to expand past its volume, making it explode.
>> Bridget: What’s interesting, though, is that the bottle remains intact. Although
it expanded, the flexibility of the plastic was enough to withstand the change in volume.
So, what do you say? That this myth is... >> Kyle: Confirmed!
>> Both: YEAH! >> [Music]