Effervescence is the escape of gas from an

aqueous solution An aqueous solution is a solution in which the solvent is water. It is mostly shown in chemical equations by appending (aq) to the relevant chemical formula. For example, a solution of table salt, or sodium chloride (NaCl), in water would be re ...

and the foaming or fizzing that results from that release. The word effervescence is derived from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

verb ''fervere'' (to boil), preceded by the adverb ''ex''. It has the same linguistic root as the word

fermentation Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food ...

. Effervescence can also be observed when opening a bottle of champagne, beer or carbonated beverages such as some carbonated

soft drinks A soft drink (see § Terminology for other names) is a drink that usually contains water (often carbonated), a sweetener, and a natural and/or artificial flavoring. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a s ...

. The visible bubbles are produced by the escape from solution of the dissolved gas (which itself is not visible while dissolved in the liquid). Although CO₂ is most common for beverages,

nitrogen gas Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at seventh ...

is sometimes deliberately added to certain beers. The smaller bubble size creates a smoother

beer head Beer is a village and civil parish in the East Devon district of Devon, England. The village faces Lyme Bay and is a little over west of the town of Seaton. It is situated on the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and its picturesque cliffs, ...

. Due to the poor solubility of nitrogen in beer,

keg A keg is a small barrel. Wooden kegs made by a cooper were used to transport nails, gunpowder, and a variety of liquids. A keg is normally now constructed of stainless steel, although aluminium can be used if it is coated with plastic on th ...

s or widgets are used for this. In the laboratory, a common example of effervescence is seen if

hydrochloric acid Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride. It is a colorless solution with a distinctive pungent smell. It is classified as a strong acid Acid strength is the tendency of an acid, symbol ...

is added to a block of

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

. If a few pieces of

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...

or an antacid tablet are put in hydrochloric acid in a

test tube A test tube, also known as a culture tube or sample tube, is a common piece of laboratory glassware consisting of a finger-like length of glass or clear plastic tubing, open at the top and closed at the bottom. Test tubes are usually placed in s ...

fitted with a bung, effervescence of

carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide (chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is transpar ...

can be witnessed. :CaCO3 + 2 HCl -> CaCl2 + H2O + CO2 (^) This process is generally represented by the following

reaction Reaction may refer to a process or to a response to an action, event, or exposure: Physics and chemistry *Chemical reaction *Nuclear reaction *Reaction (physics), as defined by Newton's third law *Chain reaction (disambiguation). Biology and me ...

, where a pressurized dilute solution of carbonic acid in water releases gaseous carbon dioxide at decompression: :H2CO3 -> H2O + CO2 (^) In simple terms, it is the result of the chemical reaction occurring in the liquid which produces a gaseous product.G. Liger-Belair ''et al.'', "Study of Effervescence in a Glass of Champagne: Frequencies of Bubble Formation, Growth Rates, and Velocities of Rising Bubbles"
Am. J. Enol. Vitic.
50:3 (1999), 317–323. Effervescence is also a human characteristic of expression, in tandem with ecstasy or exhuberant joy (associated with The 'fountain of youth').

References

Chemical processes {{Chem-stub

See also

References