Why Do Coke and Mentos React?

They don’t, at least not chemically. What we see when a Mentos candy is dropped into Coke—a fountain of soda erupting from the bottle—is the result of a physical reaction. And though this pair is the most famous for this effervescence, the rule of physics that causes it works with plenty of other carbonated drinks and rough candies, but with variable success. Let’s dive into a bottle of Coke to understand the science behind this...