Why soda, orange juice, and lemonade dissolves nails

[Guest guest]

Phosphoric acid is deliberately added to soft drinks to give them a

sharper flavor. It also slows the growth of molds and bacteria, which

would otherwise multiply rapidly in the sugary solution.

Almost all of the acidity of soda pop comes from the phosphoric acid

and not from the carbonic acid from the dissolved CO2. You can verify

this by measuring the pH of fresh and flat soda pop; there's very

little difference.

The phosphoric acid is corrosive (therefore it will dissolve a nail),

but actually the acid concentration in soda pop is lower than that in

orange juice or lemonade. Try submerging identical strips of

magnesium (or iron staples) in each of these beverages overnight.

Which beverage dissolves more metal? Which dissolves the metal

fastest?

Fruit juices and drinks are also tart, but they don't use phosphoric

acid as a flavor additive. Phosphoric acid would cause many ions

present in fruit juices to settle out as insoluble phosphates. These

beverages get their tang from citric acid, a substance found in

oranges, limes, lemons and grapefruits. Malic acid, found in apples

and cherries, is added to many fruit juices. Fumaric acid is used in

noncarbonated soft drinks, and tartaric acid gives grape-flavored

candies a subtle sour flavor. All of these substances impart only

tartness, without overpowering other flavors present.

It takes 32 glasses of Alkaline water to neutralize the acid from one

12 oz. cola. When you drink cola, the body will use its own buffers,

including calcium from the bones and DNA to raise the body's

alkalinity levels, especially to maintain blood pH levels.

This information was taken from General Chemisty online which I think

would be a reliable source. Therefore, I expect a full apology from

the person that said I was lying and expect doubters to try this : )

Quiz on Friday.

Andyman

[Guest guest]

Will the quiz consist of multiple choice or essay style questions?

thanks for the info

Bill

> Phosphoric acid is deliberately added to soft drinks to give them a

> sharper flavor. It also slows the growth of molds and bacteria,

which

> would otherwise multiply rapidly in the sugary solution.

>

> Almost all of the acidity of soda pop comes from the phosphoric

acid

> and not from the carbonic acid from the dissolved CO2. You can

verify

> this by measuring the pH of fresh and flat soda pop; there's very

> little difference.

>

> The phosphoric acid is corrosive (therefore it will dissolve a

nail),

> but actually the acid concentration in soda pop is lower than that

in

> orange juice or lemonade. Try submerging identical strips of

> magnesium (or iron staples) in each of these beverages overnight.

> Which beverage dissolves more metal? Which dissolves the metal

> fastest?

>

> Fruit juices and drinks are also tart, but they don't use

phosphoric

> acid as a flavor additive. Phosphoric acid would cause many ions

> present in fruit juices to settle out as insoluble phosphates.

These

> beverages get their tang from citric acid, a substance found in

> oranges, limes, lemons and grapefruits. Malic acid, found in apples

> and cherries, is added to many fruit juices. Fumaric acid is used

in

> noncarbonated soft drinks, and tartaric acid gives grape-flavored

> candies a subtle sour flavor. All of these substances impart only

> tartness, without overpowering other flavors present.

>

> It takes 32 glasses of Alkaline water to neutralize the acid from

one

> 12 oz. cola. When you drink cola, the body will use its own

buffers,

> including calcium from the bones and DNA to raise the body's

> alkalinity levels, especially to maintain blood pH levels.

>

> This information was taken from General Chemisty online which I

think

> would be a reliable source. Therefore, I expect a full apology

from

> the person that said I was lying and expect doubters to try

this : )

>

> Quiz on Friday.

>

> Andyman

[Guest guest]

Fill-in-the-blank and True/False.

Andyman

> > Phosphoric acid is deliberately added to soft drinks to give them

a

> > sharper flavor. It also slows the growth of molds and bacteria,

> which

> > would otherwise multiply rapidly in the sugary solution.

> >

> > Almost all of the acidity of soda pop comes from the phosphoric

> acid

> > and not from the carbonic acid from the dissolved CO2. You can

> verify

> > this by measuring the pH of fresh and flat soda pop; there's very

> > little difference.

> >

> > The phosphoric acid is corrosive (therefore it will dissolve a

> nail),

> > but actually the acid concentration in soda pop is lower than

that

> in

> > orange juice or lemonade. Try submerging identical strips of

> > magnesium (or iron staples) in each of these beverages overnight.

> > Which beverage dissolves more metal? Which dissolves the metal

> > fastest?

> >

> > Fruit juices and drinks are also tart, but they don't use

> phosphoric

> > acid as a flavor additive. Phosphoric acid would cause many ions

> > present in fruit juices to settle out as insoluble phosphates.

> These

> > beverages get their tang from citric acid, a substance found in

> > oranges, limes, lemons and grapefruits. Malic acid, found in

apples

> > and cherries, is added to many fruit juices. Fumaric acid is used

> in

> > noncarbonated soft drinks, and tartaric acid gives grape-flavored

> > candies a subtle sour flavor. All of these substances impart only

> > tartness, without overpowering other flavors present.

> >

> > It takes 32 glasses of Alkaline water to neutralize the acid from

> one

> > 12 oz. cola. When you drink cola, the body will use its own

> buffers,

> > including calcium from the bones and DNA to raise the body's

> > alkalinity levels, especially to maintain blood pH levels.

> >

> > This information was taken from General Chemisty online which I

> think

> > would be a reliable source. Therefore, I expect a full apology

> from

> > the person that said I was lying and expect doubters to try

> this : )

> >

> > Quiz on Friday.

> >

> > Andyman

[Guest guest]

Thank you Andyman! That is great info, and really valuable for

anyone who is a soda addict (ahem! raises hand as a former Diet Coke

addict). I remember my 7th grade science teacher (yes I can remember

that far back in ancient history) saying something about this and I

was cured of my soda addiction temporarily. This was brought to my

attention again a few years ago and I have given them up entirely

since then - well, maybe I have one once per month, but that's it,

scout's honor! Thanks again.

Jen B.

> Phosphoric acid is deliberately added to soft drinks to give them a

> sharper flavor. It also slows the growth of molds and bacteria,

which

> would otherwise multiply rapidly in the sugary solution.

>

> Almost all of the acidity of soda pop comes from the phosphoric

acid

> and not from the carbonic acid from the dissolved CO2. You can

verify

> this by measuring the pH of fresh and flat soda pop; there's very

> little difference.

>

> The phosphoric acid is corrosive (therefore it will dissolve a

nail),

> but actually the acid concentration in soda pop is lower than that

in

> orange juice or lemonade. Try submerging identical strips of

> magnesium (or iron staples) in each of these beverages overnight.

> Which beverage dissolves more metal? Which dissolves the metal

> fastest?

>

> Fruit juices and drinks are also tart, but they don't use

phosphoric

> acid as a flavor additive. Phosphoric acid would cause many ions

> present in fruit juices to settle out as insoluble phosphates.

These

> beverages get their tang from citric acid, a substance found in

> oranges, limes, lemons and grapefruits. Malic acid, found in apples

> and cherries, is added to many fruit juices. Fumaric acid is used

in

> noncarbonated soft drinks, and tartaric acid gives grape-flavored

> candies a subtle sour flavor. All of these substances impart only

> tartness, without overpowering other flavors present.

>

> It takes 32 glasses of Alkaline water to neutralize the acid from

one

> 12 oz. cola. When you drink cola, the body will use its own

buffers,

> including calcium from the bones and DNA to raise the body's

> alkalinity levels, especially to maintain blood pH levels.

>

> This information was taken from General Chemisty online which I

think

> would be a reliable source. Therefore, I expect a full apology

from

> the person that said I was lying and expect doubters to try

this : )

>

> Quiz on Friday.

>

> Andyman