How Are Pop Rocks Made?
Pop Rocks may be simple candy, but their creation process is a little more complex. There are six main ingredients that make up this "explosive" candy. These ingredients are:
How Are Pop Rocks Made?
Pop Rocks may be simple candy, but their creation process is a little more complex. There are six main ingredients that make up this "explosive" candy. These ingredients are:
2.Milk Sugar (lactose)
3.Corn Syrup
4.Artificial Flavoring (in this case, Strawberry)
5.Carbon Dioxide
The first step in the creation process is to mix the first five ingredients. These ingredients are heated to 300° Farenheit and mixed together. They are mixed until a syrup consistancy is formed.
The second step is to take the syrup substance and mix it with carbon dioxide.
Carbon Dioxide, or CO2 (Pictured Above), is the combination of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms, that form a light gas. This gas is used to create Pop Rocks. The candy is first stretched out. Then, 600psi (pounds per square inch) of carbon is pressurized into the candy. During this procees, the syrup candy traps small amounts of the carbon dioxide, forming tiny bubbles. Though these bubbles are small, they are still presurrized at 600psi.
The third step is to let the candy cool, thus allowing it to crystalize, then it is broken down, packaged, and shipped off to convience stores around the world.
Why Do they Pop?
We now know how Pop Rocks are made, but how do they work. The explanation is quite simple. When you put the crystals in your mouth, two things happen, which are actually chemical reaction.
1. The heat of your mouth (98.6° Farenheit) and your saliva start to melt away the outter layer of the Pop Rock. Thus weakening the structures wall and affecting its ablility to contain the carbon dioxide within the bubbles.
2. The heat of your mouth also causes the cabron dioxide to expand. Thus a combination reaction of gas and heat.
Carbonation - Carbon Dioxide in Bubble Form (Above)
With an already weak wall and the ability to expand, the carbon dioxide easily bursts the shell of the tiny bubble, releasing 600psi of Carbon dioxide into your mouth. This release of immense pressure, is what causes the "pop" sound that this candy is infamous for. So every time you hear and feel a pop, you are actually experincing chemical combination reactions and combustion at the same time.
An amazing concept, for such a simple candy.
