The Simple Trick To Prevent A Shaken Soda From Exploding

Dropping or shaking a can of soda portends disaster, but fortunately, there are tricks you can use to keep the drink from exploding. One of them is giving the can a few taps.

When a soda can is sealed, the liquid is saturated with carbon dioxide gas or carbonic acid in a pressurized condition, waiting to be activated.

When a can is dropped or shaken, the gas dissolved in the liquid is activated, turning back into gas. Before long, the amount of gas grows to the point that the can explodes.

To prevent this, gently tap the sides (not the top) of the can all the way around. This helps break the gas bubbles loose from the sides so they can't continue to nucleate.