What is the science behind why instant coffee being added to hot water can make it boil over?
It’s the same theory as Mentos Mints being added to soda that makes it shoot high out of the bottle. Water is filled with oxyhen gas(oxygen is soluble in water), the instant coffee crystals cause the oxygen to come out of the water and boil over. Carbon dioxide is a gas in soda, and oxygen is a gas in water…they both bubble out when you add certain things to them. With mentos: Basically, you are witnessing the Surface Effect. Carbon Dioxide forms bubbles. Diet Coke has more carbon dioxide than other regular sodas. The surface of the “mento” is jagged and filled with nooks and crannies. The Carbon Dioxide finds all of these holes and fills them with bubbles. Since the Mentos are heavy, they drop to the bottom of the bottle, forming bubbles all the way down. This is what causes the fast and furious explosion out of the top of the Diet Coke bottle.
