What is the chemical that is formed when baking soda and vinegar are mixed together?
The reactant in baking soda is acetic acid, HC2H3O2 (acetate is C2H3O2, which explains the weird order) The reactant in vinegar is sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO3 It undergoes a double displacement reaction, then the unstable carbonic acid turns into water and carbon dioxide: HC2H3O2 + NaHCO3 = NaC2H3O2 (this is dissolved in water) + H2CO3 when the carbonic acid breaks down: (same) = NaC2H3O2 + H2O + CO2 So now in your test tube you have water, the sodium acetate which is dissolved, plus any unreacted ingredients from the vinegar and baking soda. The CO2 is a gas, creating bubbling when it leaves the tube.
