Baking Soda and Vinegar Investigations

Recommended for grades 9–16.

Introduction

Sodium bicarbonate is a widely used compound with the formula NaHCO₃. It is also known as baking soda, bicarbonate of soda, cooking soda, and sodium hydrogen carbonate. Vinegar is a dilute solution of acetic acid, HC₂H₃O₂, made by the fermentation of wine or some other solution containing ethanol.

Baking soda reacts with acetic acid in vinegar to produce carbon dioxide gas, water, and an aqueous solution of sodium acetate according to the equation:

${\text{NaHC}}{{\text{O}}_{\text{3}}}{\text{(s) + H}}{{\text{C}}_{\text{2}}}{{\text{H}}_{\text{3}}}{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{(aq)}} \to {\text{C}}{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{(g) + }}{{\text{H}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{O(1) + Na}}{{\text{C}}_{\text{2}}}{{\text{H}}_{\text{3}}}{{\text{O}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{(aq)}}$

Objectives

In the Preliminary Activity, you will gain experience using a Temperature Probe as you determine the temperature change when 2.00 g of baking soda is added to and reacts with 50.0 mL of vinegar.

After completing the Preliminary Activity, you will first use reference sources to find out more about baking soda and vinegar before you choose and investigate a researchable question dealing with the properties of baking soda and/or vinegar or the reaction between them.

Sensors and Equipment

This investigation requires each of the following Vernier sensors and equipment (unless otherwise noted):

Stainless Steel Temperature Probe

Additional Requirements

You may also need an interface and software for data collection. What do I need for data collection?

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The student-version preview includes:

Step-by-step instructions for the Preliminary Activity
List of materials and equipment

Note: The experiment preview of the Preliminary Activity does not include essential teacher information, safety tips, or sample data. Instructions for Logger Pro and other software (such as LabQuest App or TI handheld software, where available) are on the CD that accompanies the book. We strongly recommend that you purchase the book before performing experiments.

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