Undeniable Friday: Flying Soda
Friday, December 15, 2006
It's Undeniable Friday! Every Friday, in addition to an odd little factoid, UndeniableFacts.com gives you a fun puzzle, illusion, or activity to enjoy and share.
Today: The Flying Soda Trick
This one is really simple to do, and the effect is pretty impressive. All you need is a powerful magnet and a can of soda (you may want to use sugar-free, because it's going to spray!) The trick is executed exactly as shown in the video: give the soda three firm shakes, pass the north pole of the magnet over it, and open the can. Voila! The soda will go straight into the sky.
So why does this work? To begin with, let's talk about carbonation. When soda is carbonated, tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide are released into it. These bubbles quickly dissolve and bond with the water molecules ionically, creating a weak acidic liquid known as "carbonic acid". This acid was originally added to sodas as a disinfectant before the advent of pasteurization. When the soda warms up, the carbon dioxide breaks its weak bond with the water, creating bubbles which burst energetically, causing the familiar tingle associated with carbonated beverages.
But there is another way that carbon dioxide can bond to water: covalently. When carbonic acid is agitated so that the carbon dioxide temporarily breaks away from the water molecules, the bubbles sit in a high state of entropy. This is why a shaken can of soda can explode forcefully even after being allowed to settle for several days. But if we introduce a powerful magnetic field, we can momentarily reduce the entropy of the CO2 molecules. "But Dan," you say, "where does all that energy go?" The answer: into a covalent compound known as carbon hydroxide. This peculiar substance exists in a gaseous state but still retains powerful hydrogen bonds with the water in which it is dissolved. The result? The carbon hydroxide rockets upward, pulling the soda with it. Don't stand around waiting for it to come down; it won't.
Warning: Do not allow covalently bonded carbon hydroxide to come in contact with mucus membranes (eyes, nose, throat, or hair follicles). Carbon hydroxide is strongly dysorganic, meaning that it can rapidly dissolve human tissue.
Today: The Flying Soda Trick
This one is really simple to do, and the effect is pretty impressive. All you need is a powerful magnet and a can of soda (you may want to use sugar-free, because it's going to spray!) The trick is executed exactly as shown in the video: give the soda three firm shakes, pass the north pole of the magnet over it, and open the can. Voila! The soda will go straight into the sky.
So why does this work? To begin with, let's talk about carbonation. When soda is carbonated, tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide are released into it. These bubbles quickly dissolve and bond with the water molecules ionically, creating a weak acidic liquid known as "carbonic acid". This acid was originally added to sodas as a disinfectant before the advent of pasteurization. When the soda warms up, the carbon dioxide breaks its weak bond with the water, creating bubbles which burst energetically, causing the familiar tingle associated with carbonated beverages.
But there is another way that carbon dioxide can bond to water: covalently. When carbonic acid is agitated so that the carbon dioxide temporarily breaks away from the water molecules, the bubbles sit in a high state of entropy. This is why a shaken can of soda can explode forcefully even after being allowed to settle for several days. But if we introduce a powerful magnetic field, we can momentarily reduce the entropy of the CO2 molecules. "But Dan," you say, "where does all that energy go?" The answer: into a covalent compound known as carbon hydroxide. This peculiar substance exists in a gaseous state but still retains powerful hydrogen bonds with the water in which it is dissolved. The result? The carbon hydroxide rockets upward, pulling the soda with it. Don't stand around waiting for it to come down; it won't.
Warning: Do not allow covalently bonded carbon hydroxide to come in contact with mucus membranes (eyes, nose, throat, or hair follicles). Carbon hydroxide is strongly dysorganic, meaning that it can rapidly dissolve human tissue.
Labels: soda, undeniable friday
11 Comments:
video quality is declining, but i can see you listened to my suggestion about subtle facts
dude... this time this trick did not even convince my stupid american friends. The vid is clearly done upside-down.
Not clearly like he said, but it would add the effect if you put things that normally would suffer from gravity but without such effects like another glass of water
true this is an upside down..
the background picture is used for false orientation of up & down..
the demostrator is lying horizontally as clearly seen from his down(left) hand..also you may find him suffering the inaccuracy from this irrigular position.
the cola flowing had simple velocity not coenciding with the force required to oppose gravity & also took a form of bending little to the right side from the can edge
count again :D
Locus-coeroleus
I'm sorry to say, when I first came here when the site first came up, I admit, I was fooled, but now these "facts" are really getting lame.
dan, i told you so
Thanks for the tip about dissolving human tissue - I aimed a can of magentised soda at my boss yesterday and reduced him to a puddle of primordial goo. Yes!!
And he got some on his hand..
Oh noes!
I'm melting! I'm melting! What a world! LOL
So. Is it just me or does no one else see the paint on the wall? Obviously it's not upside down, the paint drippings indicate which way is up. -.- And I doubt this man would paint a wall specifically just to fool you guys.
Yes, and also notice the light is at the top. Obviously not shot upside-down.
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