If its true that Coke can eat a nail in 4 days, how doesn't it eat through the bottle?

Question

I think the whole thing is an urban legend but I drink the stuff and would like to know,thanks

Answer 1

Most soda contains phosphoric acid, the ingredient responsible for that "tangy" taste.  Like any acid, H3PO4 will (eventually) dissolve metal, (like nails), though not in 4 days!

Your stomach, incidentally, is full of Hydrochloric Acid  Without it you would not be able to digest food!

Answer 2

False! Snopes tackled these. See my source for a link.

Answer 3

in grade school this was my daughters science project, it wont eat a nail but it starts it rusting big time, even over night, i will eat the paint off your car though......and it wont eat through a bottle because it doesnt react with glass..........fourth grade science made simple

Answer 4

Good question.....:)))))Well,i really don't understand that chemistry,but u can emagine if coke eats nail,what it does with your stomach....omg,i'll never drink it again.But it's like drugs...Bad!!

Answer 5

Glass and plastic don't corrode like metal does.  

Answer 6

Yeah, I think the "IF" is the main word.  Coke does have certain cleansing powers, but eating through nails?  I don't think so.

Answer 7

Glass is impervious to everything except hydrofluoric acid, and there is none of that in any food product. It can dissolve a nail over a period of time, so be sure to get enough water so that it doesn't eat your stomach! Actually, the coke really doesn't stay in any one place in the body for long enough to cause much damage. But the caffeine does have a half life of about 8 hours, and sugar can cause insulin spikes and lead to diabetes. A balanced diet is the answer.

Answer 8

Um.  Maybe because glass and metal are different?

That's like asking, "Why do wooden houses burn easier than stone ones?"