Carbonated Water

Carbonated water is water into which carbon dioxide gas has been dissolved under pressure, giving it the characteristic fizz and tang found in soda, sparkling water, and many soft drinks.  

Glass of carbonated water by Nevit Dilmen

The chemist and church minister, Joseph Priestley developed carbonated water using sulfur acid and chalk. Priestley created this soda water after watching the formation of gases during fermentation when he lived next door to a brewery. The beer mattered little to him, but the fumes diffused by the ferment grain aroused his curiosity. He found that this gas could be dissolved in water to produce a fizzy drink that tasted pleasant.

In 1772 he demonstrated to the College of Physicians in London. It was suggested for use on James Cook's second voyage of exploration in order to make pleasant tasting drinking water for his men.

A Swedish chemistry professor Torbern Bergman succeeded the same time in making carbonated water. He had been looking for a cheaper alternative to drink than spring water when ill.

In America carbonated beverages became more popular in the 1830s as a result of an apparatus John Mathews had invented. His device for charging water with carbon dioxide gas facilitated the growth  of the American soda industry especially in the New York area where he was based.

Carbonated water, with nothing else in it, can dissolve limestone, talc, and many other low-hardness minerals.

Carbonated water is the main ingredient in soda pop.

Carbonated water occurs naturally in some mineral springs, giving rise to the term "spa water," since many early bottled spring waters came from towns famous for their spas.

The bubbles that form in a glass of carbonated water are usually the result of nucleation on tiny scratches or fibers on the inside surface of the glass, which is why bubbles often stream from the same fixed points.

Carbonation naturally slows the growth of many microorganisms, which is part of why sparkling water and soda have historically had a longer shelf life than still water.

The pleasant tingling sensation carbonated water produces on the tongue comes from carbonic acid mildly stimulating the same nerve receptors that detect sour tastes and light touch.

Modern home carbonation devices, such as the SodaStream, work on the same basic principle Priestley used in 1767: forcing pressurized carbon dioxide gas into still water.