======Sinking and Floating Soda Cans======


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**Alternative titles:** Regular and Diet Coke Cans in Water, Density Demonstration with Soda
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Fill a clear container (at least 4 liters) with tap water.  
  - Gently place a 12-oz can of regular soda and a 12-oz can of diet soda into the water.  
  - Observe that the regular soda sinks while the diet soda floats.  
  - To extend the demonstration, gradually add salt to the water while stirring.  
  - As the water becomes denser, the regular soda can will eventually float, while the diet soda can rises higher and tips onto its side.



====Links==== 
Why Do Some Pop Can Float and Others Sink? - Cool Science Experiments Headquarters: 
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Sink of Float Coke and Diet Coke Experiment - Kids Fun Science: 
{{youtube>S0wrB78J_CA?}}\\

📄 Regular and Diet Coke Cans in Water - UPenn: [[https://www.physics.upenn.edu/demolab/manumech/ms9.html]]\\


====Variations====
  * Try other soft drinks to confirm that brand does not affect the result.  
  * Test plastic bottles, which will sink regardless of sugar content.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Handle the large container carefully to avoid spills.  
  * Stir gently to prevent splashing.  
  * Clean up any spilled salt water promptly, as it can be corrosive to metal surfaces.




====Questions to Consider====
  * Why does regular soda sink while diet soda floats? (Regular soda contains about 39 g of sugar, making it denser than water, while diet soda contains only a small mass of artificial sweetener, leaving it less dense than water.)  
  * What role does the air space in the can play? (It slightly decreases the overall density of the can but not enough to offset the sugar in regular soda.)  
  * Why does adding salt change the outcome? (Dissolving salt increases the density of the water, eventually making it greater than that of the regular soda can.)  
  * How does this demonstration relate to swimming in very salty bodies of water like the Dead Sea? (High water density increases buoyancy, allowing people and objects to float more easily.)