eli5 – why does tapping the top of a pop can make it fizz less? Or is that just a myth I’ve been practicing for 30+ years?

Question

What the title says. Pop means soda btw.

In: 1560

Answer 1

Basically when you shake the soda it increase the surface area, and the amount of bubbles that leave the pressurized soda is dependent on how much surface area there is.

So, tapping it helps get the trapped bits of gas under the surface back to the top, reducing the surface area exposed to air.

The same thing that makes shaken soda explode is also the same thing that causes mentos to really fizz. Loads of surface area