Buzz
Pop Rocks are solid candies that dissolve in the mouth, releasing gas bubbles. Credit: Andriy Onufriyenko / Getty ImagesMain Points
- Pop Rocks function by combining a heated sugar solution with carbon dioxide under high pressure, creating small, pressurized bubbles within the candy.
- As the candy cools and pressure decreases, it breaks into fragments that retain these pressurized bubbles.
- When the candy dissolves in the mouth, the carbon dioxide gas escapes from the bubbles, producing a distinctive popping noise.
To some, "Pop Rocks" is an incredibly fun candy, while others find it strange and avoid it entirely. No matter your opinion, it's undeniable that Pop Rocks are a marvel of candy technology—nothing in nature behaves quite like them!
How do Pop Rocks function? Interestingly, Pop Rocks are patented, meaning you can explore the patent details to understand their mechanism. Click here to view the patent—this page provides a summary, and by selecting the "View Images" option at the top, you can access scanned images of the actual patent. Page 4 contains the crucial information.
The process begins with hard candy ingredients: sugar, corn syrup, water, and flavoring. These are heated and boiled to evaporate the water, then the temperature is increased. The result is a pure sugar syrup at approximately 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Upon cooling, it solidifies into hard candy.
For Pop Rocks, the hot sugar mixture is combined with carbon dioxide gas under 600 pounds per square inch (psi). This creates tiny, high-pressure bubbles within the candy. After cooling, the pressure is released, causing the candy to break into pieces that still contain the high-pressure bubbles (visible under a magnifying glass).
When you place the candy in your mouth, it melts like regular hard candy, releasing the trapped carbon dioxide gas with a loud POP! The sound and sensation come from the 600-psi gas escaping from each bubble.
