Everyday Chemistry: Soft Drinks

In the United States of America, we call our favorite flavored carbonated drinks soda pop. It's the carbonation process that gives soda pop its "fizz.". There is a lot of info about carbonation at http://tutorials.carbonatedseltzerwater.com.

It is the amount of dissolved CO2 that produces carbonic acid in drinks, affecting the quality and different tastes of various carbonated drinks, including soda pops and soft drinks.

In most soft drinks, carbonation is used to give these drinks their distinctive taste. That fizzy taste is caused by diluted carbonic acid, not by the bubbles, as many believe.

In home-brewing of beer, over-carbonation can be dangerous; it can result in bottles gushing or even exploding.Using excessive amounts of sugar as a primer is dangerous, as well as using wrong types of bottles or improper capping processes. May I suggest-- just buy beer at the store.

Carbonated water, also known as sparkling water, is plain water into which CO2 gas has been dissolved, and is the primary ingredient of most "soft drinks".

In the past, these drinks were made at home by putting water in a seltzer bottle, then adding CO2. Club soda, identical to plain carbonated water, may contain a small trace of salt or other minerals. Such trace ingredients may cause a somewhat salty taste in home-made soda pop. Add some drops of concentrated flavors and now you have... soda pop.

If there is enough mineral content, the drink is called sparkling water. A big assortment of calorie-free flavors to flavor sparkling water to great taste is sold at allfreightfree.com. This might be a great option for your family instead of drinking so much soda pop.

Carbonated drinks made into soda pop can be a calorie-free way to make sure your family drinks plenty of water; after all, we all know that the better the drinks taste, the more your kids will drink, and the more they drink, the healthier it is for your family.

If anyone in your family is an athlete, this flavored drink will also make sure they stay properly hydrated while exercising. This has been an extremely hot summer; nevertheless, two-a-day football practices are already underway for college and high school players. Football moms will want to provide the team with a variety of flavored carbonated drinks, making sure that everyone drinks appropriate amounts and stays well-hydrated.The kids, and possibly the coach, will love you. Maybe this would be a fun project for your football booster club to take on.

The extreme temperatures made it a dangerous summer even for Texans, who are used to hot summers; and has made drinking water extremely important. However, we are not accustomed to 100-degrees-plus temperatures day after humid day; infants and the elderly are especially vulnerable.

Flavored carbonated drinks, then, are a good option for you and your kids, and perhaps even for your elderly neighbor. We must see ourselves as our brother's keeper.