- NEW!
by Anonymous on March 20th, 2006
Another answer posted here is incorrect. The formula given therein, “(P1*V1)/T1 = (P2*V2)/T2” describes the behavior of a gas with regard to the relationship between pressure, volume, and temperature. If soda really followed that formula as it froze, it would shrink as the temperature was reduced.
In fact, most substances do shrink somewhat, and become more dense, as they get colder; and they expand, and become less dense, as they get hotter, but it is only within the gaseous state that this happens in the simple and consistent manner described by that formula. Especially across the transistion between solid and liqid, and again across the transition between liquid and gas, the degree of expansion or contraction can vary greatly from one substance to another.
Water has an unusual characteristic; in its solid form, it is less dense than in its liquid form. Thus, as it freezes, it expands slightly. This is why ice floats to the top of liquid water, rather than sinking to the bottom. With most other substances, if you were to put a solid piece of that substance into a container of that same substance melted into a liquid, the solid would sink to the bottom.
This, also, is why a container of a water-based liquid (such as soda) might rupture when frozen. As the water freezes, it expands, taking up more volume, and if the container can't contain that increased volume, it bursts.
by notmrjohn on March 20th, 2006
The simple answer is that water expands when it freezes. Since the soda is around 99.9% water, there is not enough room in the can when the soda freezes and expands. Sumpins gotta give and it is the thin aluminum that gives, usually just a split along a seam but sometimes a sudden 'catastrophic failure' and there can be a 'splosion.' Even a small split can make a mess, the pressure of the soda itself and the added pressure as it freezes can spew soda all over, if the pressure is not so great the soda sorta oozes out slowly enough to freeze, creating some interesting sculptures on the can. You can lick the sculpture like a popsicle, don't get your tongue stuck on the can.
Plastic bottles have a slight amount of stretch, but are weaker than a can, they make really great explosive messes since they usually burst while there is more liquid available to blow all thru the freezer. That expansion of freezing water is why you should never use glass containers in a freezer, the growing ice will break them. If you get the can just before it bursts and while there is still some liquid you can open it and have a sorta Cold Volcano Slushy as the pressure pushes half melted soda out, that's a good way to make a mess too.
For the best soda explosion, get behind some thick protection and have some idiot put a closed can of soda in a fire. Boiling hot sticky soda and hot aluminum shrapnel will fly everywhere, burning, maiming, maybe killing any one in its path. That's why you get another idiot to video tape the whole thing while you hunker in the bunker with an ice cold expanded cola.
by Alexwong on July 28th, 2006
It has less to do with the expansion of water as the other answers have clamed. If you filled a can of water and froze it the can would distort but not explode. Soda is carbonated, that means CO2 is dissolved in the soda. When this water is frozen/cooled the amount of CO2 that can be dissolved drastically decreases. According to CO2's solubility curve the colder a solvent(the soda) is the less gas(the CO2) can be dissolved. The release of CO2 that now cannot be dissolved in the frozen water causes soda to explode.
by JackNicklaus on March 20th, 2006
I agree with the explanation of the water expanding when it forms ice and thus forcing the can open with the unfrozen portion of the container spews out. Yes, I said spew.
by stryder on March 20th, 2006
It's because of the change in temperature which causes a change in pressure, volume or both. This expansion of the volume and the change in the pressure are greater than what the container can retain, hence the explosion.
The technical formula is
(P1*V1)/T1 = (P2*V2)/T2
P = Pressure
V = Volume
T = Temperature
The change in the temperature causes a change in the pressure and volume which causes the can or container to explode.
by happy person is cool on August 19th, 2008
it happened in are class before. i think it was strawberry short cake dr pepper or something wierd like that. it was loud and so powerful it open the freezer door
by answerpeg on November 4th, 2009
I forgot I put a can of diet coke in the fridge (more than once) and it exploded every time. BUT I put a can of regular coke in the fridge and forgot about it and the can didn't even expand a little bit. I just did it with a Dr. Pepper. Frozen solid but no expansion. Does sugar STOP the regular cokes from exploding? Or does Aspartame MAKE the diet coke blow????
Where does the material for making pop bottles originally come from?
by Answerbag Staff on August 9th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
How many soft drink manufacturing companies are there in the U.S.?
by Answerbag Staff on July 20th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
What color were Coca-Cola labels originally?
by Answerbag Staff on July 19th, 2010
| 1 person likes this
Club soda or ginger ale soda?
by XT on January 22nd, 2012
| 3 people like this
Do you love ginger ale soda?
by XT on January 22nd, 2012
| 4 people like this
You're reading Why does a can of soda explode in the freezer?
Your favorite Q&A site is on Facebook! Become a fan to connect with the ever-growing community of Answerbaggers, share your thoughts and find out what Answerbag's up to next!
Comments
I knew the gas law did not explain this, thank you
by PhilDoc on March 20th, 2006
Well put!
by Astaroth on March 24th, 2006
Great Answer! If water didn't expand as it freezes and float on water all the fish in lakes and ponds would die.
by Nizard on April 5th, 2006
Expansion with heating and contraction with cooling is a property shared by most matter in most states. The reason things like water (water is not the only one) expand when changing from the liquid to crystalline state because the crystal structure takes up more room than the freely flowing molecules (thanks Hydrogen Bonding!). In fact, there are many different forms of ice. Not all solid/glass forms of water are less dense than the liquid form. It just so happens that at around 1 atm (pressure of earth's atmosphere at sea level) that crystal structure is most stable.
http://ergodic.ugr.es/termo/lecciones/phase.gif
That is a phase diagram of water. 1 atm is roughly equal to 10^6 Pascals. As you can see, it needs to reach a pressure two orders of magnitude (100 times higher) than 1 atm in order to freeze into a different crystal structure. If I recall correctly, a soda can's failure point is generally around 10 atm (140 psi). The can would have to hold 10 times more pressure for it to freeze without rupturing from the ice expansion alone.
That being said, dont discount the CO2 from the mess it will make. If it were a can of water, I hypothesize that the liquid would almost instantly turn to a brick of ice (maybe some splattering) once the aluminum ruptured. As liquid temperature lowers, gas solubility goes up. This means that as the can is cooling more and more of the CO2 the can was packed under is being allowed in solution. Also, as pressure is directly correlated to gas solubility. Once the can ruptures pressure is removed (reducing CO2 solubility) and the liquid begins to form ice. The solubility changes dramatically (CO2 leaves the solution) and CO2 contributes to the classic splattered slushie we are all familiar with.
And just for giggles I'd like to add that PV/T and anything derived from the ideal gas law was taught largely for the conceptual value. Real chemical and engineering formulas must be used for these sorts of problems because even the Nobel gasses aren't 100% ideal. Real molecules have attractive and repulsive forces and collisions are not always 100% elastic.
by Chris_F6241 on July 21st, 2011