AboutRalph Salier-Hellendag Expertise Science Fair Judge for many years and experience with robotics, biology, chemistry, industrial processes, metalurgy and metal forming.
Experience Science Fair Judge for many years and have helped several students get to state level competition. Most recently 2 of my students received state level awards and one went on to the nationals in Washington DC.
Education/Credentials BA Archaeology - Anthropology
MA Business Anthropology
Question My Brother is conducting an experiment, which involves taking different Carbonated Sodas out of their container, placing them into plastic cups, and seeing which one freezes the fastest. We have searched all over the Internet and we cannot find out why this happens at all. We have read reviews about why soda freezes in closed cans and bottles, but not open containers. Is it the same reason in open containers?
Answer Hi Latoya,
Why does soda freeze in the can but not in an open container? The carbonation has a lot to do with this. In the case of an open container the carbonation comes out of solution leaving behind the water mixed with the flavorings etc... The water will freeze into clumps but the flavorings etc... freeze at a much lower temperature. So the results is a kind of slush. In the case of a can, the product will freeze to a much greater extent but even in the can, the part that is not water will not freeze except at much lower temperatures. The pressure in the can however, keeps the carbonation in solution so as the water freezes, the carbonation gets trapped as air bubbles in the ice producing a much firmer frozen mass.
If you use a bottle, plastic or glass, the potential of the ice breaking the glass or cracking the plastic is quite high. (water expands as it freezes)
