Sodium hydrogen carbonate (NaHCO₃) separates into two ions when dissolved in water:

* Sodium ion (Na⁺)

* Bicarbonate ion (HCO₃⁻)

The chemical equation for this dissociation is:

NaHCO₃ (aq) ⇌ Na⁺ (aq) + HCO₃⁻ (aq)