Theory Thursday: Adding CO2 to Make Pop

We headed to my parents' house for a little bit of science. They own a SodaStream machine. With a push of a button, it adds CO2 to water. The machine itself is about $100. You also need a carbonator ($30 for twin pack) and bottle ($15 for twin pack.) A bottle of Sodamix flavoring (optional, 50 servings) costs $5. Simply put, you can have sparkling water or pop without high fructose corn syrup or aspartame for a fraction of the price. Plus, it's fun to make.

Gather 1 liter cold water, flavoring, & SodaStream machine. Half eaten apple is optional.

Attach the bottle and press the button 3 times or until desired carbonation is reached.

Taste the sparkling water and make a silly face.

Measure the soda flavoring. We used root beer.

Add the flavoring to the bottle. Again, half eaten Oreo is optional.

Gently shake or roll the bottle.

Enjoy your pop with silly straws!

I like the machine because you can adjust the amount of carbonation. I prefer flat pop. They sell  over 50 flavors including lemon iced tea, an energy drink, and cranberry raspberry. You can also drink the water without any flavor added, but where's the fun in that? (Other than watching the silly faces!) 

The kiddos learned that CO2 stands for carbon dioxide and that is what makes pop fizzy. Pretty much though, they just wanted to drink it.