A bottle is held motionless as a cork pops from its mouth and shoots through the air, leaving foam pouring from the bottle. It could be a scene at a party or a wedding reception- until you notice someone holding a measuring tape from the mouth of the bottle. This, it becomes plain, is more than a festive gathering. It's chemistry in action.
As soon as the cork lands, the distance is measured and written down, along with the ratio of the two propellants used, vinegar and baking soda.
"We're trying to see who can get the most distance out of the cork," explains chemistry teacher Todd Morstein.
Morstein's young scientists will finish the week today with a quest to round up household food compounds, such as saturated monosaccharide solution (sugar) and arachin glyceride protein pellets (peanuts), for use in a common Christmas substance - peanut brittle.
If you're near the Foods Lab today and smell peanut brittle, you'll know exactly who's cooking. After all, who thought "Foamed Saccharides with Protein Inclusions" could taste good, anyway?