# why does soda burn when you drink it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 22, 2005, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-soda-burn-when-you-drink-it/336773 "2005-12-22T07:25:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aLowlyn00b](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@aLowlyn00b](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aLowlyn00b)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2005, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-soda-burn-when-you-drink-it/336773/1 "2005-12-22T07:25:37Z")
why does soda burn when you drink it? ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2005, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-soda-burn-when-you-drink-it/336773/2 "2005-12-22T07:34:48Z")
I believe it the difference in the Ph factor between your mouth, primarily the tongue, and the soda. That’s the culpit that makes your eyes burn when you get soap in them, or sometimes even plain water. Usually the difference isn’t that great and the sensation quickly abates. Of course w/ the soap in the eye it’s usually more acute and the burning lasts much longer because soap tends to have a higher Ph. ---
**Author:** ![Good\_Egg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Good\_Egg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Good_Egg)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2005, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-soda-burn-when-you-drink-it/336773/3 "2005-12-22T07:42:39Z")
I thought it was the carbonation? ---
**Author:** ![aLowlyn00b](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@aLowlyn00b](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aLowlyn00b)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2005, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-soda-burn-when-you-drink-it/336773/4 "2005-12-22T07:52:30Z")
> [@Good Egg](#): > > I thought it was the carbonation? i thought that at first but I wasnt 100% sure ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2005, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-soda-burn-when-you-drink-it/336773/5 "2005-12-22T08:14:40Z")
I assumed it was the carbonic acid that comes from the carbonation. A chem teacher I worked with pointed out that in the real world, even pure water has a slightly acid pH because of the dissolved CO2 in it. If you force the CO2 in, you get high levels of bitter/tangy acid. That’s what makes the soda water so yucky when the soda syrup runs out a the McDonald’s. It’s also why sodas need so much sweetner. You need it to counterbalance the acid. ---
**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:** [December 22, 2005, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-soda-burn-when-you-drink-it/336773/6 "2005-12-22T13:42:38Z")
Carbon dioxide is the source of the stinging sensation when you drink soda. It immediately combines with water in your mouth to form carbonic acid. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2005, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-soda-burn-when-you-drink-it/336773/7 "2005-12-22T13:46:15Z")
There is quite a bit of phosphoric acid in most sodas as well. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2005, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-soda-burn-when-you-drink-it/336773/8 "2005-12-22T17:00:32Z")
> [@Cardinal](#): > > It’s also why sodas need so much sweetner. You need it to counterbalance the acid. I’ve never noticed seltzer water to be terribly acid-tasting. It’s just as carbonated as normal soda, if not more so. I’ve never checked it’s pH, but I’m sure it’s of a much higher pH than something like lemmon juice, which produces a different sensation in the mouth. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > Carbon dioxide is the source of the stinging sensation when you drink soda. It immediately combines with water in your mouth to form carbonic acid. But the CO2 is already in water in the soda. Would a saturated solution of carbonic acid produce that same stinging sensation? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2005, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-soda-burn-when-you-drink-it/336773/9 "2005-12-22T17:41:45Z")
But very acidic foods, like orange juice, tomatoes, citrus fruits, or vinegar, do not burn. We usually experience acidic tastes as sour. Malic acid is used to make candy sour, but doesn’t burn. Once I got a very tiny taste of battery acid as was struck that the sensation was sour rather than burning (although I imagine it would burn horribly in larger amounts). How does pH explain why soda burns? ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-soda-burn-when-you-drink-it/336773/10 "2005-12-22T21:21:15Z")
It isn’t the acid, it’s the reaction forming bubbles in the mouth (as **RealityChuck** said). If you really want to feel the pain, hold a bit of soda in your mouth while it’s bubbling. I can barely stand carbonated drinks for this reason. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2005, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-soda-burn-when-you-drink-it/336773/11 "2005-12-23T02:13:56Z")
Now see, I love the bubbly little burn you get with carbonation. That’s the whole point of drinking pop! Otherwise, I might as well just drink Kool-Aid.