When baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO3) is mixed with vinegar (acetic acid, CH3COOH), they react to form sodium acetate (NaCH3COO), water (H2O), and carbon dioxide gas (CO2). The reaction can be represented by the following equation:
NaHCO3 + CH3COOH → NaCH3COO + H2O + CO2
In this reaction, baking soda acts as the base, while vinegar acts as the acid. The products of the reaction, sodium acetate and water, are neutral, meaning that the acidic and basic properties of the reactants have been neutralized. The carbon dioxide gas produced is responsible for the fizzing that occurs when these two substances are mixed.
