Mad Dawg chewing gum is
a practical joker’s dream come true. It is noticeably sour when someone first
starts to chew it, but the big surprise comes about ten chews later when
brightly colored foam oozes from the person’s mouth. Although the effect is
dramatic, the cause is simple acid–base chemistry.
The foam consists of sugar
and saliva churned into a bubbling mess by carbon dioxide released from the gum.
The carbon dioxide is formed when sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) present
in the gum is mixed with citric acid and malic acid (also present in the gum)
in the moist environment of the mouth. As NaHCO3 dissolves in the
water of the saliva, it separates into its ions: