What Do You Call This Popular Beverage?

[Pale Violet Light]

Soda pop", as I understand it, derived from the chemical reaction of sodium to enable the effervescence of the beverage

This seems pretty unlikely - adding sodium to water is a pretty explosive way to make a soft drink. It seems more likely to come from sodium bicarbonate, which will give the needed fizz, albeit with less opportunity for fun pyrotechnics.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

This seems pretty unlikely - adding sodium to water is a pretty explosive way to make a soft drink. It seems more likely to come from sodium bicarbonate, which will give the needed fizz, albeit with less opportunity for fun pyrotechnics.

You are partially correct. “Soda” originally referred to sodium bicarbonate. However, it came to be associated with the carbonate part rather than the sodium part. Fizzy drinks are carbonated.

“Pop” comes from the sound of pulling a cork. Bottles were corked before the invention of screw tops and cans. In some circles, champagne is referred to as pop.

You are certainly right about adding sodium to water - it makes sodium hydroxide, a strong alkali that you definitely wouldn’t want to drink!

Oh, from the practical side of the sodium in water demo you probably saw at school: sodium is so reactive that it quickly forms an oxide layer on the surface. You have to try and cut that off with a scalpel, which is difficult, not only are you dealing with a tiny piece of sodium, it’s hard to cut (it is a metal after all). If you don’t get it all it reacts unevenly, and that’s what makes the popping noise (and can cause it jump out of the basin and make a hole in the ceiling tiles). If the sodium is cleaned properly it doesn’t pop, it only fizzes.