Did You Know Tapping The Side Of A Shaken-Up Soda Can Really Does Help?

The other day I asked my ten-year-old daughter to bring me a Dr Pepper. She was in the kitchen and calls back, “It’s the last one, do you want it?”

Yes, I want it. That’s why I asked.

“Okay,” she says. And in she runs with my can of soda, only to stumble and drop it onto the carpet. I look at her. I look at my soda. I hold my breath…it doesn’t explode all over my beautiful beige carpet. Phew. Good. Crisis averted. But then I’ve got a new problem…how do I drink my now shaken-up soda?

Turns out, it’s not such a big deal after all. Just a couple of clicks on the ol’ Google-net and I had my answer. Apparently tapping the side of the soda can really Does make the fizzy bubbles go back down.

Basically it’s a lot of science/science stuff with the answers, but I’ll lay it out because I kinda thought it was cool. Plus, now my daughter can write a paper for school about it…which is the perfect punishment for dropping the last Dr Pepper, IMHO.

So what it comes down to is there’s just a ton of carbonation in carbonated drinks, big pile of “DUH” there, right? But when we shake them, all the pressure from the bubbles moves to the top of the can. Opening it lets the bubbles grow larger as the carbon dioxide rushes to the opening and SPLOOSH! Big ol’ stain on my beige carpet.

When you tap the side of the can it dislodges those bubbles and there isn’t such a mad dash for the top anymore.

Even though that helps, turns out the best solution is to just let it sit for a few minutes. The bubbles go back to their original place and then you’re good to go.

So while I was temporarily delayed in my soda, it wasn’t the huge crisis it could have been had that can exploded. Plus, science.

Don’t believe me that it works? Watch this video!