What Makes Coke Carbonated?

Fizzy bubbles of carbon dioxide.

Coke was invented in 1886 by a pharmacist named John Stith Pemberton. Originally called Coca Cola, the syrup was mixed with carbonated water, or seltzer, to make a soda-fountain drink. Carbonated water gives Coke its fizz.

Seltzer

Seltzer is artificially carbonated water. Carbon dioxide is dissolved in water under pressure, which makes the gas more soluble.

What's in the Bubbles?

Carbon dioxide is a colorless, faint smelling gas that tastes sour.

History

The apparatus for creating carbonated water was invented by Joseph Priestly (1733 to 1804), who thought he could treat certain diseases with carbonated water.

Considerations

According to a study in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation, carbonated water is safer for tooth enamel than the more-acidic soft drinks made with it.

Under Pressure

The approximate pressure inside a soda bottle is two atmospheres---twice the downward pressure the atmosphere exerts on the Earth. That's a little more than 29 lb. per square inch.

Drink It Cold

Due to the nature of gas, when soda is cold, it can hold more carbon dioxide than when it is warm. Warm soda is flat soda.

References

• Nuffield Advanced Chemistry: Why Does Coca Cola fizz ?
• The Coca Cola Company: Chronicle of Coca-Cola
• U.S. National Library of Medicine: Mineral Waters and Soft Drinks in Relation to Dental Erosion

Resources

• Encyclopædia Britannica: Joseph Priestley
• Encyclopædia Britannica: Carbon Dioxide
• National Science Foundation: Activities K-12