activity 10: floating & sinking Coke cans Discover how the calorie content of regular and diet Coke determines whether the can sinks or swims. You will need: 1 can of Coke 1 can of diet Coke A very large bowl or bucket of water What to do: Place one can of regular and one can of diet Coke in the water. Watch what happens What is happening? Even though both cans have the same volume of liquid in them the regular Coke sinks while the diet Coke floats- if this did not happen try again with a bigger container filled with water. The amount of low calorie sweetening ingredient (aspartame) that is added to diet Coke is less than the amount of sugar added to regular Coke. The low calorie sweetener is sweeter than sugar so less is required. This means the mass of the diet Coke can is less than the regular Coke. Maybe that's why some call it Coke light! Density = Mass / Volume The above equation can be used to show that the density of the diet Coke can is less than that of the regular Coke can. As the regular Coke can is denser, it will sink further down in the water.
	<< Go Back