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NEWTON Home Page NEWTON Teachers Visit Our Archives Ask A Question How To Ask A Question Question of the Week Our Expert Scientists Volunteer at NEWTON! Frequently Asked Questions Referencing NEWTON About NEWTON About Ask A Scientist Education At Argonne Vinegar and baking soda 
Name: leslie a boen
Status: N/A
Age: N/A
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 1999
Question:
What do vinegar and baking soda mixed together yield? What is the balanced equation of this reaction?


Replies:
Vinegar is acetic acid: CH3COOH

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate: NaHCO3

Mixing the two is simply and acid base reaction.

CH3COOH + NaHCO3 ---> CH3COONa + H2CO3

That last product is carbonic acid which quickly decomposes into carbon dioxide and water:

H2CO3 ---> H2O + CO2

The CO2 is what you see foaming and bubbling in this reaction.

-Joe Schultz


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