Why does Coke clean pennies?

The soda cleans the pennies because it contains phosphoric acid. Phosphoric acid breaks down the copper oxygen compound and causes a new layer of the copper to be exposed.

What does Coca Cola do to a penny?

When the copper oxide (the pennies) and the phosphoric acid (the cola) get together in the bath, the acid reacts with the copper oxide on the pennies and dissolves it. That's why the pennies get shiny. What else could you put into the cola bath?

Why is Coke good for cleaning coins?

Yes, that refreshing can of Coke that you like to drink by the pool can also clean coins. Coke's phosphoric acid can clean the oxides that cause tarnish and corrosion.

What does Coke do to copper?

Copper Cleaner

The acid in the Coke makes the copper look shiny and new—without scrubbing. This cleaning trick works on plenty of other household copper accents as well.

Which soda cleans pennies the best?

Coke and off-brand colas will quickly remove the tarnish. Just don't drink the coke afterward. Coke contains phosphoric acid that cleans the oxides. Try a variety of citrus juices to see which works best or simply let your pennies soak in lemon juice.

Coca cola + pennies Experiment

What cleans a penny the fastest?

Copper oxide dissolves in a mixture of weak acid and table salt-and vinegar is an acid. You could also clean your pennies with salt and lemon juice or orange juice, because those juices are acids, too.

How do professionals clean pennies?

Hydrogen Peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide can prove effective in removing various materials, including organic material. To clean using this method, place your coins in a small plastic container, fill with enough hydrogen peroxide to cover, and soak for 24 hours.

Does Pepsi clean pennies?

Science Learned

Dark colas like Coke and Pepsi actually contain phosphor in the form of phosphoric acid. This acid breaks down the copper-oxygen compound chemical bonds allowing a fresh unoxidized layer of copper to be exposed.

What happens when you put a penny in vinegar?

When you place the pennies in the salt and vinegar solution, the acetic acid from the vinegar dissolves the copper oxide, leaving behind shiny clean pennies. The copper from the copper oxide stays in the liquid. You could use other acids instead of vinegar, like lemon juice.

What happens when you put salt in Coke?

When the salt gets is added to the coke, it changes the balance of the its chemistry and forces the release of carbon dioxide bubbles. This occurs because the salt overpowers the carbon dioxide and replaces it in the soda. The carbon dioxide then has nowhere else to go but out, which causes the explosive sensation.

What do professionals use to clean coins?

Vinegar and salt

According to research professor Vinod Patel, washing coins with natural white vinegar and iodized salt in distilled water is a non destructive way of cleaning coins.

What cleans a coin the best?

Does cleaning coins affect value?

According to coin experts, cleaning any potentially collectible coins might cause them to lose value. Using chemical cleaners or scrubbing the coins could leave scratches and marks that will be easy for a skilled appraiser to pick up on.

Why was Coke priced at 5 cents for so long?

But the price of Coke stayed at a nickel. That was partly due to another obstacle: the vending machine. The Coca-Cola vending machines were built to take a single coin: a nickel. Levy says the folks at Coca-Cola thought about converting the vending machines to take a dime.

Why are some pennies dark brown?

When oxygen binds with copper, they form a new molecule known as copper oxide. Copper oxide is brownish or sometimes black in color (depending on other things in the penny's environment). This is why most pennies you see look dirty or tarnished—it's not actually dirt but copper oxide that makes them look so dull.

Why is Coca-Cola a cash cow?

Cash Cows -

The only beverage that signifies the popularity of The Coca-Cola Company, Coca-Cola is defined as a cash cow that has a high market share but a low growth rate. Over time, this product has become a cash cow since it has reached the apex of its growth rate.

How much is 10 lbs of copper pennies worth?

One modern US penny weighs 0.088 ounces. That means it would take approximately 1,818 pennies to weigh 10 pounds, which would be worth 18 dollars and 18 cents.

Why does ketchup clean pennies the best?

Ketchup contains vinegar, a weak acid, which breaks down the copper oxide on the surface of the penny. The salt in the ketchup goes on to add dissolved chloride ions to the mix. These ions bond with the copper, forming copper chloride. The copper chloride helps the vinegar further break down the copper oxide.

What happens when you put salt water on a penny?

If the penny in your salt water solution got shiney, it obviously underwent a chemical reduction reaction. The copper oxide was reduced to shiney copper. These types of chemical reactions are called oxidation reduction reactions. Something gives up oxygen (or something similar) and is reduced.

Does milk clean pennies?

For example, "In my experiment, milk cleaned pennies better than apple juice, but not as well as water". Ex: In my experiment, milk cleaned pennies better than apple juice, therefore milk is a better cleaning agent.

Does Toothpaste clean a penny?

Don't use toothpaste – Toothpaste is extremely abrasive. It can make your coins appear shiny, but cause significant damage to the surface. Don't use ketchup – You might have learned in science class that dipping a penny in ketchup can restore their shine.

Does salt water clean pennies?

Copper oxide dissolves in water, but it usually takes a long time. The combination of vinegar (a weak solution of acetic acid), and table salt (sodium chloride) helps to dissolve the copper oxide, and also forms the blue copper(II) ion, which is soluble in water. The penny becomes shiny again!

How much is a wheat penny worth?

Brenner designed the coin under the direction of President Theodore Roosevelt, who was on a mission to redesign our nation's coinage. President Lincoln was chosen as a subject for the penny to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his birth. Any wheat penny is worth at least four cents to most dealers.

Can vinegar damage coins?

First, if you think your coins might be of any value, do not clean them at all, since you can possibly damage them by soaking in cleaners like vinegar. If you want to clean the coin for some other reason, vinegar should work fine.