Why Does Coke Fizz?
Other People Are Reading
-
Coke Uses Carbon Dioxide
-
Although the exact formula for popular Coca-Cola drinks is a well-kept trade secret, there a key ingredient in the soda is carbon dioxide (CO2) gas. Injected into the drink to add an extra "tingle" as well as refreshing bubbles, this gaseous concoction is injected into soda containers under extremely high pressures (in restaurant applications, a separate, pressurized carbon dioxide container provides constant CO2 pressure to the soda fountain, mixing in the gas as the soda is dispensed).
Soda Remains Under Pressure
-
When Coke is purchased in a can or in one of its trademark bottles, the drink is actually under very high pressure--as much as 1,200 lbs. per square inch. This tremendous pressure keeps the CO2 gas in a stable, liquid state, unable to escape the soda or its container (if the beverage were not pressurized, the CO2 gas would escape and the Coke would "go flat"). For this reason, bubbles and fizz can't be seen inside an unopened glass or plastic Coke bottle, though they readily appear once the bottle is opened or the Coke is dispensed.
-
Fizz is Escaping CO2 Gas
-
When a can or bottle of Coke is opened, or Coca-Cola is dispensed from a soda machine, the CO2 gas that was previously under high pressure is returned to a normal atmospheric condition. Without the high pressure of the container, the carbon dioxide returns to a gaseous state and begins escaping back into the air in the form of tiny bubbles rising through the Coke drink. These bubbles sometimes carry small amounts of Coke along with them as they escape, creating the drink's familiar fizz. If Coke is allowed to sit without being consumed or poured out, eventually all of the CO2 will escape and the beverage will taste considerably different, or "flat."
-
