This paper explains the Mentos–Diet Coke eruption using standard physics concepts such as surface tension, metastability, nucleation barriers, and degassing dynamics. It shows how the Mentos surface geometry and chemistry lower the energy threshold for bubble formation, triggering a runaway cascade of gas release. The explanation is intuitive, mechanistic, and accessible to readers without requiring new theoretical vocabulary.
Chadwick Rasque (2026) studied this question.