The next time you are at a pool party, toss into the water a can of regular Coke and a can of Diet Coke (preferably, without opening them first). Will they sink or swim? Actually, both.
The can of regular Coke will plummet to Davy Jones's Locker, while the can of Diet Coke will contentedly bob on the surface. Both contain twelve ounces of liquid and the same amount of metal in the can. So what gives?
The answer lies in the evil sugar found in the regular Coke. It weighs in at 39 grams, while the amount of substitute sweetener in the Diet Coke can is only about 0.125 grams. Both cans of pop are about the same density as water, but the can of the diet product is just slightly below water's density and floats, while the sugary original is just slightly above and sinks.
But didn't I say the cans are both twelve ounces? Well, thanks to the Americans' desire to make units of measurement as confusing as possible, there are ounces used to measure volume and different ounces used to measure mass. The twelve ounces in a soda can refers to the volume of the contents, not the weight.
You can try this experiment with other beverages--just be warned that you might not be invited back to the next pool party.
For more information on this fascinating topic, please see the marvelous I Found Out Today website.
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