Expert: Ralph Salier-Hellendag - 11/20/2004

Question
How can I determine how much carbonation is in soda?  I think that I need to determine how much sugar is in the soda first because the more sugar a soda has, the less room there will be for carbonation.  Is this true?  How can I test either one?

Answer
They are not really related to each other.  Carbonation is CO2 added to the drink in one of the final processes before the bottle cap is added.  That is why it is under pressure.  The CO2 remains in solution so long as the cap is on the bottle.  Take the cap off and the CO2 comes out of solution and escapes in the form of bubbles.  To find out how much CO2 is in a bottle of pop, take a beaker and fish tank, fill the beaker with water and turn it upside down in the tank but near the surface.  Then open a bottle of pop under the upturned beaker of water and when the CO2 escapes from the bottle, it will displace the water in the beaker telling you how much CO2 was in the bottle.