Making Mountain Dew Glow

Can you make Mountain Dew glow simply by adding some baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to it? That's what this video claims. I was so excited after watching it that I was all prepared to go out, buy a bottle of Mountain Dew, and try the experiment myself. Thankfully I didn't, because the video is a fake. If you watch it closely, you can see that a break occurs after the person pours the Mountain Dew into the glass. During this break is when the contents of a glow stick were added to the Mountain Dew bottle. According to Wikipedia, hydrogen peroxide serves as an activating agent for the glow-stick dye. "It reacts with the ester to form an unstable CO2 dimer which excites the dye to an excited state; the dye emits a photon (light) when it spontaneously relaxes back to the ground state." I don't know what the purpose of the baking soda is.

Food Photos

Posted on Mon Oct 08, 2007



Comments

Awww, I can just picture your face when you realised it was fake Alex. That kiddie enthusiasm would have just drained away leaving nothing but the blank look of disappointment.

*hugs*

😉
Posted by Nettie  on  Mon Oct 08, 2007  at  08:44 AM
if you read the page about phenyl oxalate ester, you need a slightly basic solution. Baking soda a weak base, therefore he used it to make mountain dew slightly basic.
Posted by someone  on  Tue Oct 09, 2007  at  12:17 AM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenyl_oxalate_ester
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glow_sticks

You would need a 35 percent concentration of hydrogen peroxide to make it glow like that, "The chemical inside the glass vial [of glow sticks] is concentrated (about 35%) hydrogen peroxide" (wiki about glow sticks). Most hydrogen peroxides are about 3 percent and that would only create a dim glow because the glow depends on the concentration of the reactents, "By adjusting the concentrations of the two chemicals [phenyl oxalate ester and hydrogen peroxide], manufacturers can produce glowsticks that either glow brightly for a short amount of time, or glow more dimly for a much longer amount of time." (Wiki on glowsticks).

Heating up the dew will increase the rate of reaction in this process and might create a glow bright enough to be seen. Most people probably used cold dew, therefore the rate of reaction (higher rates means brighter glow) would be slow. Slow rate = dim glow. Higher concentrations of the reactent will also increase reaction rate.

But, what i am confused about with this experiement is the dye used in Mountain dew. Is the dye actually fluorescent dye? It is possible to make this reaction happen if Mountain dew does contain a floresent dye. The reaction itself does not make a visible glow but requires a dye for it to be shown. That's why used up glow sticks (that no longer glow on its own) when held under a black light makes it glow because the glow comes from the dye.
Posted by someone again  on  Tue Oct 09, 2007  at  01:06 AM
i also forgot the say that does phenyl oxalate ester exist in mountain dew? Those two things are probably the reasons why this could be a haox if mountain dew does not contain phenyl oxalate ester and a floresent dye.
Posted by someone again again  on  Tue Oct 09, 2007  at  01:08 AM
So what i'm saying with the first post, Most people probably screw up the experiement because, one they use low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (ones bought in the store are about 3%) and 2 they don't take into consideration about the rate of a reaction (Performiing this while the dew is cold).
Posted by Wish there was an edit button  on  Tue Oct 09, 2007  at  01:12 AM
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, it's fake... why is everyone but the first poster talking about it like it's real?
Posted by summer  on  Tue Oct 09, 2007  at  05:11 PM
Well, if they believe it is real try to sell them a bridge.
Posted by LOL  on  Tue Oct 09, 2007  at  05:32 PM
so what should i REALLY use to make it glow?
Posted by Stevie  on  Wed Oct 10, 2007  at  07:55 AM
Nothing will make Mountain Dew glow by iteself. You have to add the contents of a Chemstick to it. The Mountain Dew will not glow reguardless, it will only then be the chemicals from the Chemstick that will glow.
Posted by LOL  on  Wed Oct 10, 2007  at  02:39 PM
where do you get the ester
Posted by thang  on  Wed Oct 10, 2007  at  06:53 PM
The Baking Soda and the sugar of the Mtn Dew act as the ester compound. This isn't fake.
Posted by Gabe Thompson  on  Wed Oct 10, 2007  at  07:01 PM
To make a glowing solution, mix the first 3 ingredients. These are powdered, and not only are they nearly like baking soda, but visually indistinguishable from it. make enough to replace a good amount of baking soda in the box.

then open your mountain dew, and replace the mountain dew with the remaining 4 ingredients, and recap the bottle. The flourescein dye will give the liquid roughly the same color as maontain dew. You can even use plain carbonated water if you want, as it will replicate the effervesence (fizzing) of mountain dew.

This way, it looks like you're adding baking soda and peroxide to mountain dew. Shake it, and it will glow quite nicely.



4 g sodium carbonate
0.5 g ammonium carbonate
0.4 g copper sulfate pentahydrate

0.1 g flourescein dye
0.2 g luminol
approx. 1 litre of distilled water.
50 ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide
Posted by R. Price  on  Wed Oct 10, 2007  at  07:55 PM
BTW, Gabe Thompson, you don't even know what an ester is, since you don't seem to know enough to realize that sugar NEVER is a part of it.

There are enough people here that already know this "experiment" is fake, as several have already tried it. Go play mad scientist with Scooby Doo.
Posted by R. Price  on  Wed Oct 10, 2007  at  07:58 PM
I tried it, and unfortunately it didn't work. It was my anger that brought me to this thread to see what I had done wrong to muck up such a revolution of home brewed science. After reading the comments denouncing the video as a hoax, I went back to youtube for a closer look. Upon further investigation I noticed that the name of the f@#$r; who posted this atrocity is IMARTIFICIAL. Coincidence? I think not! F@#$ YOU IMARTIFICIAL, F@#$ YOU!!!
Posted by tcronq  on  Wed Oct 10, 2007  at  09:53 PM
Even though it's fake with a glow stick, the baking soda and peroxide would make the Dew/Glowstick mixture fizz and fill the now almost empty bottle. :D

Thus the reason the name "DAVID" looks so foamy
Posted by Jen  on  Thu Oct 11, 2007  at  12:07 AM
This is funny stuff!! I bought a Moutain Dew to try this experiment, but after reading all of the information, I think I'll just drink it instead. I wonder how much Moutain Dew sales went up after this joke was played out!!LOL
Posted by Mark  on  Fri Oct 19, 2007  at  08:38 PM
Im going to try it. My father is dentist - he has a 35% peroxyde 😊 I hope it is not fake !
Posted by AZOR  on  Sun Oct 21, 2007  at  12:22 PM
Yeah i saw this and didn't read the comments. Almost every kid in my high school saw this and wanted to try it. I just did it first and... IT WORKED!!!!!!!

Nah im kidding it didn't work at all. The dark alley was the same darkness before and after.
Posted by I'm not giving my name to a machine!  on  Mon Oct 22, 2007  at  03:59 PM
The idiot that posted the video is not that much of a fool.

He's paid for each view, so he's making good money!

(But he's a cheating, lying s.o.b scumback!)

And it's not the only hoax he has made!

Regards
Peter (with a masters degree in chemistry 😉
Posted by Peter  on  Thu Nov 08, 2007  at  11:16 AM
follow this link and you will see how to truly make something glow

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=0a3_1189219215
Posted by sal  on  Thu Nov 08, 2007  at  08:27 PM
All it would take would be luciferase enzyme that was added.
Posted by Jake  on  Tue Nov 20, 2007  at  12:14 PM
Hi!

I read at some website about this thing and i tried it, don't know how, but if you put some light behind the bottle (after you pour the baking soda and the peroxide) IT GLOWS!!

We used a cellphone Flashlight and it glowed... it's not like the bottle turns on after we turn off the lights, but it was glowing.. green because of the bottle I think...
Posted by Gris  on  Tue Apr 08, 2008  at  11:12 PM
❓ i donnt no if it work i dodnt try it yo
Posted by shanana  on  Sat Nov 22, 2008  at  07:02 AM
If you want to pull this off, and you need 35% hydrogen peroxide, go to any hair stylist supply store (like a Sally's). They sell various strengths of hydrogen peroxide as bleach.
Posted by Pete  on  Sun Feb 01, 2009  at  05:51 AM
lol people are still talking about this?
ok go wiki search "chemiluminescence" and "glowstick" and it will bring up several 'common' reactions that produce light. most of the chemicals are difficult to come by but can be bought online.
also google "make glowstick goo" and the first link will be to an instructable that shows you a method that works.
if you want to see if the dye in mountain dew is fluorescent hold it under a black light, (the ones that make stuff glow at raves.)
i dont believe it is so chances are its not even possible to make it fluoresce.
otherwise... you cannot make mountain dew glow, its not possible to make it an active part of a chemiluminescent reations.
it. will. not. glow.

an easier way would be to simply cut open a whole stack of glowsticks, keeping the chemicals separated, then add them together. though that isnt nearly as fun as doing it yourself from scratch 😉
Posted by alex  on  Fri Feb 06, 2009  at  02:15 AM
The "Baking Soda" could just be luminol which when combined with a catylist like the sugar enzymes in Mt. Dew, and activated by hydrogen peroxide does produce the exact same result, although usually blue. You can buy luminal on the internet cheap and it would require about as much as was sprinkled into the Mt. Dew.
Posted by Mike Koester  on  Wed Feb 11, 2009  at  12:58 PM
haha lol we are doing it for a project and btw it works boii hahahahaha so BELIEVE!!!!!!!! in what you want peeps!!!!
Posted by crazy  on  Thu Nov 19, 2009  at  08:17 AM
I like turtles
Posted by Zombie Kid  on  Sun Jan 31, 2010  at  07:40 AM
Hello! Does this really work?
Posted by Joanna  on  Wed Mar 03, 2010  at  07:01 AM
ohhh my gwddd just tryed it from tht one vid hated it wheni figuered out it was fake was looking forwrd to seeing it glow whoever made tht fake video is a fag
Posted by WOWWWWW  on  Sat Nov 13, 2010  at  04:07 PM
It works I put gas with my dew and then water with baking soda then a tespoon of battery acid Wen you mix it it's nothing until you add penny shaveings not copper cuz copper is not all the penny the middle is zinc
Posted by Nigro  on  Sat Jan 08, 2011  at  09:21 PM
im doing for a project and im kid cudi jr hope it work with a glow stick
Posted by kidcudi  on  Wed Jan 19, 2011  at  09:01 AM
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