Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate Formula

Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate Formula

Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate Formula is also known as Sodium Bicarbonate or based on its domestic use it is also called Baking Soda formula. is an inorganic compound which is weakly basic and is composed of cations (Sodium) and anions (Bicarbonate). The chemical or molecular formula of the Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate Formula is NaHCO3.

Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate Formula Structure

Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate Formula is solid and it has a crystalline structure that makes it resemble a crystal it is white in colour and has no odour. In its crystalline form, it has a density of 2.2 g/mL whereas in its powder form it has a density of 1.2 g/mL. It readily dissolves in water. Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate Formula is produced by the Solvay process by making it react with sodium chloride with ammonia, water, and carbon dioxide to give NaHCO3 along with ammonium chloride salt.

Properties Of Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate Formula

• Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate Formula is also used in pyrotechnics and fireworks which means it can be used in the making of explosives. The common black snake tablets which are very common among young children, that can be found mostly used during the festival of Diwali contain sodium bicarbonate. The mechanism that occurs in it is, long snake-like ash is formed because of thermal decomposition with the release of carbon dioxide and the ash being a combustion product of sucrose.

The Solvay Process

This is another process of producing Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate Formula, and that process is known as the Solvay Process. This process is mainly used if someone wants to produce Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate Formula in the form of an intermediate. The following formula is created in the process of Solvay:

NaCl+CO2+NH3+H20⟶NaHCO3+NH4Cl

(Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate symbol + Ammonium chloride symbol)

Carbon dioxide, ammonia, and sodium chloride are the primary substances that are supposed to react together to produce sodium hydrogen carbonate. During this process, Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate Formula and ammonium chloride are produced as an intermediary result.

The sodium Hydrogen Carbonate Formula has a life of up to two to three years which means it starts to get impure. This life also depends on a certain condition and that condition is that it has to be stored in a cool and dry place and if it is not then the Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate Formula does not stay the same anymore.

Uses of Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate

• The common name of the Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate Formula is baking soda as it is used for the main purpose of baking during cooking in a more domestic sense. The common name of the Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate Formula comes from the essential use of the compound in baking as a leavening agent. Typically when it reacts with acidic substances such as hydrogen phosphates, cream of tartar, juice of lemon, yoghurt, buttermilk, cocoa, and vinegar, it releases carbon dioxide. This is because of this release of carbon dioxide while baking the batter expands and forms the characteristic texture and grain structure that one can usually observe in quick bread, soda bread, sometimes idlis, khaman, and many other baked and fried foods and one thing that must be noted is that all these food are fluffy and that fluff is the result of the CO2 dispersion.

NaHCO3 + H+ → Na + CO2 + H2O.

• The common name of Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate Formula comes from its use in the preparation of baking powder which is also used for its implications in a more domestic sense. Baking powder contains around 30% sodium bicarbonate and the acidic reagents or compounds that get activated as they come into contact with water and that is how the leaving process of the carbon dioxide starts. This leads to the usual process as mentioned above.
• Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate Formula is sometimes used to delay combustion because it directly produces carbon dioxide and water as a combustion product and both of them are used to control fire or halt combustion.
• It is also used for acid neutralisation, especially acid spills in industries as they spontaneously react and release carbon dioxide as a reaction product.