About The Coke Zero & Mentos Mini-Rocket Car
Download complete instructions here:  How to Create a Mentos Mini-Rocket Car

If you're a kid, don't try this without a responsible adult supervising. If you're an irresponsible adult, don't try this.

Make sure you wear your goggles, use the wrist strap (to keep the piston from flying away accidentally), and aim away from people, cars, buildings, and other objects.

So how far will Mentos mints propel a single bottle of Coke Zero? The big rocket car, powered by 648 Mentos and 108 bottles of Coke Zero, carried Fritz 221 feet and carried David Letterman 364 feet (but to be fair, he was going downhill a bit). Using a single 2 liter bottle of diet Coke Zero and 6 Mentos, the mini-rocket car has (so far) gone 176 feet!

Be safe, have fun, and explore your world!

How Does This Work?
Just like the big rocket car, the mini-rocket car uses a simple piston mechanism: a 30-inch long rod sits inside a two-foot long tube attached to the bottle of Coke Zero. The Mentos are held inside the tube by a small piece of masking tape.  When the rod is pushed all the way into the tube, the Mentos break through the masking tape, go into the Coke Zero, and the reaction starts.

When the Mentos hit the Coke Zero, the pressure that is released tries to push the rod out of the tube.  Because you are holding onto the rod and keeping it still, the bottle and tube go flying forward.  There's one big push as the mini-rocket car launches, and then it’s pretty much coasting from there.

Want to know what makes the Coke Zero fly out of the bottle? Will you explode if you drink Coke and eat Mentos? Click here to find out!

Credits
The Mentos Mini-Rocket Car by EepyBird: Fritz Grobe (the short one) and Stephen Voltz (the tall one).  Music by AudioBody.  Filmed in Buckfield, Maine, home of the Oddfellow Theater.  Production assistance by the one and only Mike Miclon.