According to the pictures of the plane debris, and according to the media (Russian and US sources) the tail area of the plane received lots of damage from shrapnel (like ball bearings.
As you say, the can seems awfully small to contain enough explosives and shrapnel to do that.
Also, all indications are that the ‘bomb’ was in the cockpit, not anywhere near the tail.
The pieces of this puzzle don’t fit together very well.
What was the can IN, though, is the question.
In addition, enough C4 in a can will blow a hole in an airliner.
Interior cabin of plane is pressurized. A small explosive inside will blow apart and depressurize the plane. Plane disintegrates in the air. A small explosive doesn't need to be near the exterior wall.
What if there were more than one soda can bomb? They could be packed together in a box. I am just wondering.
Watch what a few ounces of Semtex can do to a pressurized 747:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx3baqIfvBY
Also, all indications are that the ‘bomb’ was in the cockpit, not anywhere near the tail.
Reports I've seen indicate the tail fell off, meaning the bomb was towards the rear. This is in contrast to Pan Am 103, where the bomb was in the forward cargo hold, and the explosion separated the cockpit from the rest of the wreckage.
Where the devil did you come up with that? Can you even identify the cockpit in debris photos?
The pieces of this puzzle don’t fit together very well.
If you think the bomb was anywhere near the nose of the a/c, no wonder your pieces don't fit...
:-(