The Mystery Behind Pop Rocks™

         Pop Rocks™ is a popular fizzing candy that has interested or intrigued most of us at some point in our lives. This candy was patented in 1961 and went on the market in the 1970s. There have been many myths surrounding this candy; such as it will cause you to explode, and for many adults in the 70s this was a very real fear. There were even poison control hotlines setup because parents would call, frantic, worrying that their child was going to detonate because of the gases they were ingesting.

        

          So in light of all of this, the one thing we have all secretly wondered is how this fun, fizzy candy actually works. Sucrose, lactose, and flavoring are mixed together and melted. The melted candy is then exposed to high-pressure carbon dioxide – this pressure is nearly more than forty times that of atmospheric pressure; which is 600 psi. Once the carbon dioxide dissolves into the sugar, the mixture is cooled and the pressure on the mixture is lessened. While the mixture is cooling the dissolved carbon dioxide tries to escape the mixture; this causes bubbles to form within the solidifying mixture. 

          What exactly is that pop and fizz? When we put the pop rocks into our mouths the enzymes in our saliva weaken the bonds in the sugar and break down the outer layer of the candy. When this occurs the bubbles “explode” and more than 600 psi of carbon dioxide is released; creating that familiar popping sound.

 http://humantouchofchemistry.com/how-do-pop-rocks-candies-work.htm

 

http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/science-questions/question114.htm

http://www.chem.uiuc.edu/chem103/titration/introduction.htm

Submitted By: Briahna Lawson