1421: "Carbonated Soda"

HistoryPodcastScience
Written By JC

Interesting Things with JC #1421: "Carbonated Soda" – From 18th-century experiments with “fixed air” to the hiss of a modern can, soda has carried medicine, rivalry, and ritual into everyday life. The bubbles may vanish, but the story still fizzes.

Curriculum - Episode Anchor

Episode Title: Carbonated Soda

Episode Number: 1421

Host: JC

Audience: Grades 9–12, college intro, homeschool, lifelong learners

Subject Area: Chemistry, History of Science, Cultural Studies, Health Science

Lesson Overview

Students will:

  • Define the process of carbonation and explain how carbon dioxide dissolves in liquid.

  • Compare the different types of carbonated drinks (seltzer, club soda, tonic water).

  • Analyze the historical development of soda from medicinal use to popular consumer product.

  • Explain the health impacts of sugar and acids in carbonated sodas on the human body.

Key Vocabulary

  • Carbonation (kar-buh-NAY-shun) — The process of dissolving carbon dioxide in water under pressure to create fizz.

  • Seltzer (SELT-ser) — Plain carbonated water without added minerals or flavoring.

  • Tonic Water (TAH-nik wah-ter) — A carbonated drink with quinine, originally used as a malaria treatment.

  • Quinine (KWAI-nine) — A bitter compound from cinchona bark once used to treat malaria.

  • Enamel (ih-NAM-uhl) — The hard outer layer of teeth that can be worn down by acids in soda.

Narrative Core

  • Open: The hiss of a soda can opening hooks the listener, introducing the science of carbonation.

  • Info: Joseph Priestley’s 1767 discovery of trapping “fixed air” in water marked the start of carbonated drinks.

  • Details: Soda evolved from medicinal tonics in drugstores to bottled beverages that fueled brand rivalries like Coke vs. Pepsi.

  • Reflection: Soda is both a scientific process and a cultural staple, tied to medicine, leisure, and health debates.

  • Closing: These are interesting things, with JC.

A clear glass filled with carbonated soda and ice cubes, placed against a soft green blurred background. Small bubbles of carbon dioxide rise throughout the liquid, highlighting the effervescent quality of the drink. At the top, bold black text reads “Carbonated Soda,” with smaller text below stating “Interesting Things with JC #1421.”

Transcript

That hiss when you open a can of pop—that’s carbon dioxide rushing out. The story starts in 1767, when Joseph Priestley (PREEST-lee) of Leeds (LEEDS), England, discovered he could trap “fixed air” in water over a brewery vat. That first carbonated water sparked a new kind of drink.

By the 1800s, Americans were drinking it at drugstores. Soda fountains weren’t just fun—they were pitched as medicine. Root beer was meant for the stomach. Ginger ale for nausea. Coca-Cola, first poured in Atlanta in 1886, blended coca (KO-ka) leaf extract and kola (KO-la) nut caffeine as a tonic. Families sat at marble counters, sharing a glass the way folks gather for coffee now.

Not all fizzy water was the same. Seltzer was plain. Club soda had minerals added to taste like spring water. And tonic water, created in British India in the 1850s, mixed quinine (KWAI-nine) for malaria into sweetened fizz. Bitter or not, it worked, and it gave us the gin and tonic.

In 1892, Coca-Cola began bottling, turning soda from something tied to a fountain into something you could carry home. That step opened the door for brand rivalries—Coke against Pepsi—as pop spread nationwide.

The science is straightforward. Carbon dioxide dissolves in cold water under pressure—about 30 to 50 pounds per square inch (2.1 to 3.5 kilograms per square centimeter). Open it, the pressure drops, and the bubbles escape. That’s the fizz, and eventually the flat taste when the gas is gone.

America drinks plenty. In 2018, the average person went through 38 gallons (144 liters). A 12-ounce can (355 milliliters) of cola holds 39 grams of sugar—about 9 teaspoons. Over time, that much sugar leads to cavities, diabetes, and weight gain. The acids, even in diet pop, wear down enamel too.

The bubbles themselves don’t hurt you, though they can cause bloating or reflux. Some studies say carbonation may help swallowing or mild constipation, but plain water does the same.

And soda has records. A man in Italy drank two liters in 17.94 seconds. In Japan, 85 cans were opened in one minute. And a Minnesota farm once dumped 7,000 gallons (26,500 liters) of expired soda into a methane digester to make power.

From medicine to mixers, from drugstore counters to ball games, carbonated soda has been part of American life for more than 250 years.

These are interesting things, with JC.

Student Worksheet

  1. Who first discovered how to trap carbon dioxide in water, and in what year?

  2. What role did soda fountains play in American culture during the 1800s?

  3. Compare seltzer, club soda, and tonic water.

  4. How does carbonation work on a scientific level?

  5. What are some long-term health effects of drinking too much soda?

Teacher Guide

  • Estimated Time: 45–60 minutes

  • Pre-Teaching Vocabulary Strategy: Preview words with pronunciation; provide visual aids (e.g., diagrams of carbonation process).

  • Anticipated Misconceptions: Students may think carbonation alone is harmful, when sugar and acids cause health concerns.

  • Discussion Prompts:

    • Why was soda originally marketed as medicine?

    • How did bottling change the soda industry?

    • Should modern society view soda as more of a treat than a staple?

  • Differentiation Strategies:

    • ESL: Use diagrams and soda can examples for hands-on learning.

    • IEP: Provide guided notes with fill-in-the-blank vocabulary.

    • Gifted: Research current debates on soda taxes or alternatives.

  • Extension Activities:

    • Experiment with making homemade carbonated water.

    • Compare sugar content across different beverages.

  • Cross-Curricular Connections:

    • Chemistry: Gas solubility and pressure.

    • History: Industrialization and consumer culture.

    • Health Science: Nutrition and long-term health effects.

Quiz

  1. Who discovered carbonated water?
    A. John Pemberton
    B. Joseph Priestley
    C. Asa Candler
    D. Charles Alderton
    Answer: B

  2. What ingredient in tonic water was originally used to treat malaria?
    A. Caffeine
    B. Quinine
    C. Sugar
    D. Enamel
    Answer: B

  3. Coca-Cola was first bottled in what year?
    A. 1767
    B. 1800
    C. 1886
    D. 1892
    Answer: D

  4. How much sugar is in a 12-ounce can of cola?
    A. 9 grams
    B. 20 grams
    C. 39 grams
    D. 55 grams
    Answer: C

  5. Which of the following best explains why soda goes flat after opening?
    A. Loss of sugar
    B. Evaporation of water
    C. Escape of carbon dioxide
    D. Breakdown of caffeine
    Answer: C

Assessment

  1. Explain how carbonation works and why soda goes flat after being opened.

  2. Analyze how soda evolved from medicine to a cultural staple in the U.S.

3–2–1 Rubric

  • 3: Accurate, complete, thoughtful

  • 2: Partial or missing detail

  • 1: Inaccurate or vague

Standards Alignment

  • NGSS HS-PS1-3: Matter and Its Interactions – Students explain the solubility of gases under pressure in liquids.

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.2: Summarize scientific concepts accurately from a text (carbonation and its health impacts).

  • C3.D2.His.2.9-12: Analyze the historical role of soda fountains and consumer culture.

  • ISTE 3a: Students plan and employ effective research strategies when comparing soda types and health effects.

  • UK GCSE Chemistry (AQA 4.1.3.1): States of matter and gas behavior under pressure, applied to carbonation.

  • IB MYP Sciences Criterion D: Applying science to explain everyday phenomena like carbonation and health effects.

Show Notes

This episode of Interesting Things with JC explores the science, history, and culture of carbonated soda. From Joseph Priestley’s 1767 experiment with “fixed air” to the rise of soda fountains in American drugstores, students discover how fizzy drinks evolved from medicine to mass-market culture. The lesson ties in chemistry (gas solubility and pressure), history (consumer culture, industrial bottling), and health science (sugar, acid, and nutrition). Understanding soda offers students both a lens into industrial and cultural change and a relevant connection to everyday life, from health decisions to the marketing power of global brands.

References

JC https://jimconnors.org
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