BAKING SODA IN CHEMISTRY
Actually, Baking Soda is the common name for the chemical solution of the combination of "sodium bicarbonate" or "sodium hydrogen carbonate" which is chemically known as "NaHCO3". Baking soda is an alkaline white crystalline solid, usually sold as a powder. It has a slightly salty flavor.
CHEMICAL NAME OF BAKING SODA
The molecular formula of sodium bicarbonate is NaHCO3 as mentioned in the upper. It is a salt composed of a sodium (Na+) cation and a bicarbonate (CO3-) anion.
Acid-Base Reaction
The acid-base reaction can be generically represented as:
NaHCO3 + H+ → Na+ + CO2 + H2O
Acidic materials that induce this reaction include hydrogen phosphates, cream of tartar, lemon juice, etc. It may be used together with sourdough, which is acidic making a lighter product with a less acidic taste.
Heat can also by itself cause sodium bicarbonate to act as a raising agent in baking because of thermal decomposition, releasing carbon dioxide at temperatures above 80 °C (180 °F), as follows:
2NaHCO3 → Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2