The Science Behind Viral Internet Trends

As the internet is gradually becoming more and more on the entertainment side, more people, especially Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha, are connecting more with it. According to many people, the internet going towards more entertainment has a very negative side and is going to be disastrous in the coming days. If we really think about it, it’s definitely concerning, as the internet was invented as a way to connect and share information and knowledge.

But what if we gain knowledge from these random TikTok trends going viral? In this article, we will talk about the science behind them. We’ll get to know the scientific reasons for some incidents happening in these trends. Let’s dive deep into these trends and see how they work.

Here are some viral internet trends and the science behind them:

1. Diet Coke and Mentos

One of the most viral trends going on on the internet for a long time is the Diet Coke and Mentos explosion, where people usually make videos dropping Mentos in Diet Coke. As soon as they drop Mentos in Diet Coke, it starts exploding and causes a fountain-like eruption. Well, doing this is as fun as it sounds. But how does it happen?

The explosion is a physical reaction, not a chemical one. Carbonated sodas like Diet Coke contain a lot of dissolved carbon dioxide under pressure. The gas wants to escape into the atmosphere, but it needs a surface to cling to for the bubbles to form. Mentos candies have tiny pits and rough surfaces. These act as nucleation sites where carbon dioxide (CO₂) dissolved in soda can form bubbles very quickly. When Mentos are dropped into Diet Coke, CO₂ rapidly comes out of solution, forcing the liquid out of the bottle in a fountain.

2. Elephant Toothpaste

When hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, and a catalyst are mixed, a huge foamy eruption bursts out of the container, which looks like a huge tube of toothpaste. This experiment went viral for its dramatic visual effects. 

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) naturally breaks down into water and oxygen over time, but this process is very slow. A catalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process. When a catalyst (yeast or potassium iodide) is added, the chemical reaction gets sped up. The soap molecules trap the newly produced oxygen gas, creating a large volume of bubbles. This way, the toothpaste foam that erupts from the container is formed.

3. “Magical Splash” Turmeric Glow

We have all been obsessing over the turmeric-flashlight experiment where a glass of water is placed over a flashlight and turmeric powder is added to that water. This creates a glowing golden swirl, which looks eye-catching.

Turmeric contains curcumin, which absorbs blue light wavelengths and reflects yellow-orange light wavelengths. When turmeric is added to water, they disperse throughout the water but does not fully dissolve. These particles scatter and reflect light, especially in the yellow-orange spectrum, making the splash look luminous.

4. Water Bottle Flip Challenge

There are many videos on the internet of people doing challenges involving flipping partially filled bottles and landing them upright. These challenges are competitive and so fun to watch. But how do the bottles land upright?

The physics of rotational inertia and center of mass makes the bottle land upright. Let’s break it down into simple words. When you spin a partially filled water bottle, the water moves inside while the bottle spins. This moving water slows down the rotation, helping the bottle land softly instead of bouncing. The center of mass (the balance point) stays low because of the water at the bottom. This makes it more stable, so it stands upright instead of falling over.

5. Water-pepper Experiment

The water-pepper experiment is a known experiment for kids, teenagers, and even parents. Some parents are teaching their children the importance of washing their hands by showing them this experiment,t where they consider the pepper as germs. When you sprinkle pepper on a bowl of water and touch the water’s surface with your fingers using handwash or soap, the pepper instantly shoots away from your finger. Water molecules stick tightly to each other due to hydrogen bonding. It creates a thin elastic “film” on the surface called surface tension. That’s why lightweight objects like pepper flakes can float.

Soap molecules have two parts: 

One attracts water (hydrophilic).

The other repels water (hydrophobic)

When soap touches the water, it breaks the surface tension in the center of the dish, causing the water molecules to pull away from the soap and flow towards the edges. This movement carries the pepper with it, making it appear to run away from the soap.

6. Dry Ice Experiment

Dry ice experiments have been going viral on the internet for a long time. People are creating fog, bubbling potions, or floating bubbles using dry ice. Dry ice experiments rely on the principle of sublimation. Dry ice is solid C... It turns directly from solid to gas at room temperature. The gas is heavier than air, forming fog when it condenses water vapor, making it visually dramatic.

7. Instant Slushy

This is a trend that can be done without any risk. Even kids are taking part in this trend by putting cold drinks in the freezer for a certain amount of time and turning them into slushies by shaking the bottle. This trick works because of supercooling, where a liquid is cooled below its freezing point without solidifying. A liquid, like water or soda, is chilled in a freezer without being disturbed. It is cooled below its normal freezing point (0°C or 32°F) but remains liquid. When the bottle is disturbed, a shock wave is created. The disturbance causes the molecules to rapidly arrange themselves into a solid, creating a slushy texture instantly as the liquid freezes around the initial crystal nucleus.

8. Slime Making

People, especially teens, are making colorful, stretchy slime with glue, borax, and food coloring. This demonstrates polymer chemistry. It happens by a chemical reaction called cross-linking, where a polymer is linked together by an activator. The glue contains polyvinyl acetate (PVA), and borax acts as a cross-linker, linking the polymer chains to create a gooey, non-Newtonian fluid. Non-Newtonian fluids change viscosity under stress.

The Final Saying:

From liquid fountains to instant slushies, these viral trends are not just entertaining - they reveal the fascinating science hidden in everyday experiences. Viral trends show us that science is all around us, waiting to be explored. Next time you watch a mesmerizing experiment online, take a moment to ask, “Why?”