Mentos Soda Experiment

Springbrook campers' scientific skills take off

“My hope is they realize that science is really fun and get a good grasp on scientific concepts,” Wacky Science Day Camp leader Brandon Baker said.

From food science to fire, 22 campers age six to eight experimented with a variety of household items for scientific fun.

Each day focused on a different scientific property or concept.

On Monday, campers learned about air and used blow dryers to suspend pingpong balls in the air.

Tuesday focused on light and sound as campers got to experiment with solar-powered cars and screaming balloons.

Campers delved into the mysteries of food science on Wednesday, experimenting with flavors and learning how to get a hard-boiled egg into a bottle.

“I liked the food science,” camper Kunsela Takadumra said.

“We made artificial flavors and made apple pie without using apples.”

On Thursday, campers learned about different aspects of chemistry. Baker said in most situations campers performed experiments themselves, but in the event that the experiment was dangerous or the supplies were expensive they just observed.

Not all supplies were household items; Baker also experimented with dry ice.

“So far they’re in love with the dry ice,” Baker said.

“They were also really interested in high air pressure and low air pressure,” Baker said.

When asked to explain a chemical reaction, many campers began to immediately include air pressure in their answer.

Baker said he was impressed with the level at which campers were learning and understanding scientific concepts.

Friday’s camp activities included a variety of experiments with fire or chemical reactions.

Baker dropped Mentos into a Diet Coke bottle resulting in a sweet and sticky geyser.

On the final day of camp, campers also made water bottle boats, filled them with baking soda and vinegar and set them loose in boat races.

While some campers said they came with a love for the science, others came for a love of the reaction. “I like the explosions,” camper Nathaniel Haile said.

Mentos and Soda Experiment | Eepy Bird

EepyBird explores creativity, and the ways ordinary objects can do extraordinary things. Their first video, The Extreme Diet Coke & Mentos Experiments, took the idea of dropping Mentos into soda and turned it into one of the best known viral videos of all time. Their viral videos have won two Emmy nominations, four Webby Awards, landed them on Vh1's list of greatest Internet superstars, and were voted GoViral's Online Game Changer of the Decade. In addition to creating viral marketing campaigns with everyday objects, EepyBird also gives presentations at corporate events on creativity, innovation, and lessons from the front lines of viral video. They perform live Coke and Mentos geyser shows at festivals and corporate events. EepyBird has been featured on "The Late Show with David Letterman," "MythBusters," "The Today Show," and more; and they have performed live in London, Paris, Las Vegas, Istanbul, and more. EepyBird has even set three Guinness World Records and has appeared in videos for Blue Man Group, Barenaked Ladies, and Weezer (the Grammy-winning "Pork & Beans"). Most of all, EepyBird spends countless hours searching for ways to transform the things of everyday life into something new and unforgettable.

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