# What keeps the ingredients in bottle drinks from sinking to the bottom? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 1, 2006, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-keeps-the-ingredients-in-bottle-drinks-from-sinking-to-the-bottom/354901 "2006-05-01T01:59:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AnabolicDoberman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@AnabolicDoberman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnabolicDoberman)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-keeps-the-ingredients-in-bottle-drinks-from-sinking-to-the-bottom/354901/1 "2006-05-01T01:59:43Z")
I assume there is some kind of chemical put in the drinks like soda and beer, that keeps it uniform? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-keeps-the-ingredients-in-bottle-drinks-from-sinking-to-the-bottom/354901/2 "2006-05-01T02:08:52Z")
No chemicals. The ingredients are either dissolved or in suspension. > [@](#): > > Suspension > Chemistry. A system in which microscopically visible particles are dispersed throughout a less dense liquid or gas from which they are easily filtered but not easily settled because of system viscocity or molecular interactions. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-keeps-the-ingredients-in-bottle-drinks-from-sinking-to-the-bottom/354901/3 "2006-05-01T02:11:34Z")
Not really. Most soft drinks are a solution, which basically means all the elements are dissolved and remain mixed under normal circumstances. Some are a suspension – for instance, there a type of Polar Orange Soda with orange pulp. In these cases, the there can be some ingredients at the bottom. You can also see this with fruit juices containing pulp. But it’s the same as if you dissolved sugar into water. The sugar remains dissolved unless you do someting like heat it to evaporate the water. ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-keeps-the-ingredients-in-bottle-drinks-from-sinking-to-the-bottom/354901/4 "2006-05-01T10:31:13Z")
- - - In one of the Big Secrets books by William Poundstone, there is a chapter on “secret food formulas”. There it is explained that typical sodas often use various oils as flavorings and to prevent them from separating, **grain alcohol is added**. IIRC he said it’s about 1% of the syrup content–but I dunno how much the syrup is diluted with water. I’ll scan and post it if I can find the book; my “numbers stations” page is a bit dusty. ~ ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-keeps-the-ingredients-in-bottle-drinks-from-sinking-to-the-bottom/354901/5 "2006-05-01T11:33:48Z")
- - - Here it is, analysis circled in red (dial-up warning, it’s one page with about 1 meg of scan images): [http://www.norcom2000.com/users/dcimper/assorted/inanities/general\_wtf/secret.html](http://www.norcom2000.com/users/dcimper/assorted/inanities/general_wtf/secret.html) . . . -Also addresses the question of if Coca-cola contains cocaine, we note. ~ ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-keeps-the-ingredients-in-bottle-drinks-from-sinking-to-the-bottom/354901/6 "2006-05-01T11:51:28Z")
Another thing that Poundstone mentions in **Big Secrets** is the way **Yoo-hoo** separates out upon standing. He even identifies what the different layers consist of. Some drinks _do_ separate upon standing.