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Carbonated water

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Carbonated water is water that contains dissolved carbon dioxide gas. This gas creates small bubbles that give the water an effervescent quality. Some of this water is found naturally in the Earth. For example, artesian wells in the Bulgarian Rhodope Mountains or the German Taunus mountains produce sparkling mineral water. Other types are made by people using machines. These include club soda and various commercially produced sparkling waters.

Drinking glass 00118
Drinking glass 00118

Making fizzy water is a way it works using pressure and temperature. To make it, people inject carbon dioxide gas into water under high pressure. This pressure helps more gas dissolve into the liquid. It is best to chill the water to just above freezing first. Cold temperatures help the gas stay in the water more easily. When you open a container, the pressure drops quickly. This causes the gas to escape the liquid as bubbles.

SiphonSeltzerAnchorBWks001
SiphonSeltzerAnchorBWks001

People have been studying how to make fizzy water for a long time. William Brownrigg is thought to be the first to aerate water with gas in the 1740s. Later, Joseph Priestley discovered a way to make it by accident in 1767. He was at a brewery in Leeds, Yorkshire, when he found this method. He even wrote a paper about it in 1772. Priestley used a tool with a bladder to control the flow of gas.

PSM V05 D400 Joseph Priestley
PSM V05 D400 Joseph Priestley

Soon, many people wanted to make carbonated water on a large scale. In 1781, companies began to specialize in making artificial mineral water. Thomas Henry built the first factory in Manchester, England. He improved the process by using large bellows instead of a bladder. In 1783, Johann Jacob Schweppe started the Schweppes company to sell bottled soda water. This helped start the whole soft drink industry.

Belfast Evening Post, August 7, 1786
Belfast Evening Post, August 7, 1786

Carbonated water often contains added minerals like sodium bicarbonate or potassium sulfate. These minerals are used to mimic natural flavors. They also help offset the acidity of the carbon dioxide. Adding the gas makes the water slightly acidic, with a pH between 5 and 6. This acidity is similar to the tartness in apple juice. While it is slightly more erosive to teeth than plain water, it is much less corrosive than soft drinks.

Seltzogene
Seltzogene
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🖼️ Images & Media (9)
File:Drinking glass 00118.gif
Drinking glass 00118.gif
File:PSM V05 D400 Joseph Priestley.jpg
PSM V05 D400 Joseph Priestley.jpg
File:Priestley Joseph pneumatic trough.jpg
Priestley Joseph pneumatic trough.jpg
File:Belfast Evening Post, August 7, 1786.jpg
Belfast Evening Post, August 7, 1786.jpg
File:SiphonSeltzerAnchorBWks001.jpg
SiphonSeltzerAnchorBWks001.jpg
File:Seltzogene.jpg
Seltzogene.jpg
File:Image-Codd bottle.jpg
Image-Codd bottle.jpg
File:Trinkwasserbesprudler.jpg
Trinkwasserbesprudler.jpg
File:Soda gun.jpg
Soda gun.jpg
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