Soda waters down when it freezes. Why?

[Armored Cavalry]

Last night, my sister had placed into the freezer several cans of soda, then failed to let anyone know they were there. Upon discovering them, I removed them; naturally, they were frozen (actually, it was more likely a firm slush). In any case, when they thawed, I opened one, took a drink, and immediately gagged on some of the most "diluted" Mountain Dew I had ever tasted.

At this point, I get curious. Why, I ask myself, does Mountain Dew become "watered down" upon freezing, even though no water was introduced to it during the freezing process. I poured the contents of the can into a clear glass cup. At first, the liquid was almost colorless, but as I moved closer to completely emptying the can, it began to appear a very saturated green, and once all of it was in the cup, it took on its normal color as Mountain Dew - it even tasted like plain Mountain Dew again. I am willing to wager that if I had dissected a can while the contents were still frozen, the bottom would be very green while the top was almost colorless.

I'm inferring that: the water contained in the soda froze quicker, and its density made it float on top of everything in the can that was still liquid. Upon defrosting, everything beneath the ice was heavier, so it remained sank beneath the water. Color and taste were restored because the liquid was allowed to diffuse when I poured it out into a glass.

Nevertheless, I would be lying if I said that I knew exactly what I was talking about. Now, my curiosity remains provoked, and I must have the right answer. Thus, I come here, seeking someone who knows his or her chemistry better than me.

[Gharbad]

Well water is a compound that becomes less dense as it freezes - the solid (ice) floats on the liquid (water).
If the other ingredients have a density closer to water, it sort of makes sense they'd separate.

I don't really know much on the topic. Pretty cool though.

[foxxninja-xa]

Armored Cavalry

Last night, my sister had placed into the freezer several cans of soda, then failed to let anyone know they were there. Upon discovering them, I removed them; naturally, they were frozen (actually, it was more likely a firm slush). In any case, when they thawed, I opened one, took a drink, and immediately gagged on some of the most "diluted" Mountain Dew I had ever tasted.

At this point, I get curious. Why, I ask myself, does Mountain Dew become "watered down" upon freezing, even though no water was introduced to it during the freezing process. I poured the contents of the can into a clear glass cup. At first, the liquid was almost colorless, but as I moved closer to completely emptying the can, it began to appear a very saturated green, and once all of it was in the cup, it took on its normal color as Mountain Dew - it even tasted like plain Mountain Dew again. I am willing to wager that if I had dissected a can while the contents were still frozen, the bottom would be very green while the top was almost colorless.

I'm inferring that: the water contained in the soda froze quicker, and its density made it float on top of everything in the can that was still liquid. Upon defrosting, everything beneath the ice was heavier, so it remained sank beneath the water. Color and taste were restored because the liquid was allowed to diffuse when I poured it out into a glass.

Nevertheless, I would be lying if I said that I knew exactly what I was talking about. Now, my curiosity remains provoked, and I must have the right answer. Thus, I come here, seeking someone who knows his or her chemistry better than me.

Well yes, youre pretty much right. The ingrediants like sugars, syrups, and colorings when mixed with water, are heavry/more dence then normal water. The frozen water will float to the top on top of the still liquid water with the additives. Then slowly, the other liquid will freeze too. So for the most part your hypothisis was on the money 3nodding

[Morberticus]

Is Mountain Dew still legal?

[General Awesome]

Morberticus

Is Mountain Dew still legal?

What? Why would it not be?

[The Zodikosis]

This is the Zodiac speaking...

You are correct. Mountain Dew is made from a syrupy concentrate and carbonated water. The Mountain Dew concentrate is denser than water, and therefore sinks to the bottom upon melting. Mixing them up again should make it taste fine, though I believe the carbonation would be gone.

...that is all.

[Umbral Epoch]

The Zodikosis

This is the Zodiac speaking...

though I believe the carbonation would be gone.

...that is all.

You're right. Freezing pop makes it go flat.

Something else I've noticed is that if you let ice melt in pop, the water from the ice stays on top of the pop.

[Morberticus]

General Awesome

Morberticus

Is Mountain Dew still legal?

What? Why would it not be?

Because it looked and tasted so unnatural. It was a delicious soft drink abomination.

[IndigoSensor]

It is very hard to trap gas inside of a solid when it is initally dissolved in a liquid. The crystalization process does not allow for gasses to be trapped into the network, they can only be trapped by air bubbles. When a gas is insolution, it is intermoleculary attracted to the liquid it is dissolved in. Crystlization reorganizes these attractions, and gasses are not included into this because one, it is a gas despite being in solution, and two, the rearagement of molecules "forces" the gas out.

Umbral Epoch

The Zodikosis

This is the Zodiac speaking...

though I believe the carbonation would be gone.

...that is all.

You're right. Freezing pop makes it go flat.

Something else I've noticed is that if you let ice melt in pop, the water from the ice stays on top of the pop.

That is because things do not go into solution right away if they are just allowed to sit, particulary an organic (like the sugars in the soda). It takes time for it to become intermixed. Letting water just melt on the surface of the soda creates a sort of phase boundery, you would need to shake it for it to be properly mixed.

[HiddenxHalo]

Morberticus

General Awesome

Morberticus

Is Mountain Dew still legal?

What? Why would it not be?

Because it looked and tasted so unnatural. It was a delicious soft drink abomination.

When I read the words "Is Mountain Dew still legal?" I got soooo nervous - I was like "Why wouldn't it be legal? What's wrong with it? What are the ingredients?" LOL

I like Mountain Dew. heart

[HiddenxHalo]

Gharbad

Well water is a compound that becomes less dense as it freezes - the solid (ice) floats on the liquid (water).
If the other ingredients have a density closer to water, it sort of makes sense they'd separate.

I don't really know much on the topic. Pretty cool though.

Very cool.