Although many people believe that Diet Coke and Mentos causes a chemical reaction, scientists believe it is a physical reaction. Carbon dioxide is drawn to the Mentos, and it creates many small bubbles in the soda. All of the bubbles build up and create pressure within the bottle, causing the soda to shoot out. The explanation for this process is called nucleation. This process consists of bubbles forming in any place where there is a high surface area and a very low volume, places called nucleation sites. A few nucleation sites could be scratches on glass, the ridges of your finger, or specks of dust (Eepy Bird RSS). The reaction can be increased in a few different ways. The temperature of the soda can affect the reaction. Using Diet
