In this post, i am going to talk about sodium bicarbonate which is also known as baking soda, since this practical featured an experiment on baking soda. Baking Soda, so what are its uses? Everyone might think that it is just something sommonly used during cooking, flavouring etc. however do you know that Baking Soda can actually act as a cure for certain caners? Just white powder, do not underestimate its powers, eating it everyday will give a boost to your health but i believe no one will dare to eat it plain. Read on to find out more. But before that, i would first like to show you a baking soda bomb.
Wasn't it cool? The men were completely covered with the reaction of Baking Soda with Water. So what is Sodium Bicarbonate? Sodium bicarbonate is a white solid that is crystalline but often appears as a fine powder. It has a slightly salty, alkaline taste resembling that of sodium carbonate. It is a component of the mineral natron and is found dissolved in many mineral springs. The natural mineral form, nahcolite, is found in dissolved form in bile, where it serves to neutralize the acidity of the hydrochloric acid produced by the stomach, and is excreted into the small intestine via the bile duct. It is also produced artificially. Since it has long been known and is widely used, the salt has many related names such as baking soda, bread soda, cooking soda, and bicarbonate of soda.
Sodium Bicarabonate is a very useful product, i now list out, its many uses. Sodium bicarbonate is primarily used in cooking (baking) where it reacts with other components to release carbon dioxide, which causes dough to rise. The acidic compounds that induce this reaction include phosphates, cream of tartar, lemon juice, yogurt, buttermilk, cocoa, vinegar, etc. Sodium bicarbonate can be substituted for baking powder provided sufficient acid reagent is also added to the recipe. Thermal decomposition causes sodium bicarbonate alone to act as a raising agent by releasing carbon dioxide at baking temperatures. The carbon dioxide production starts at temperatures above 80 C. The mixture for cakes using this method can be allowed to stand before baking without any premature release of carbon dioxide.
Many laboratories keep a bottle of sodium bicarbonate powder within easy reach, because sodium bicarbonate is amphoteric, reacting with acids and bases. Furthermore, as it is relatively innocuous in most situations, there is no harm in using excess sodium bicarbonate. Also, sodium bicarbonate powder may be used to smother a small fire, as heating of sodium bicarbonate releases carbon dioxide.
A wide variety of applications follows from its neutralization properties, including reducing the spread of white phosphorus from incendiary bullets inside an afflicted soldier's wounds. Sodium bicarbonate can be added as a simple solution for raising the pH balance of water where high levels of chlorine (2–5 ppm) are present as in swimming pools and aquariums.
Sodium bicarbonate is used in an aqueous solution as an antacid taken orally to treat acid indigestion and heartburn. It may also be used in an oral form to treat chronic forms of metabolic acidosis such as chronic renal failure and renal tubular acidosis. Sodium bicarbonate may also be useful in urinary alkalinization for the treatment of aspirin overdose and uric acid renal stones. It is used as the medicinal ingredient in gripe water for infants.
Bicarb has been known to be used in first aid, in treating scalding, to prevent blistering and scarring with instructions to cover scaled area with a liberal layer of bicarb. It is used as well for treatment of hyperkalemia. Since sodium bicarbonate can cause alkalosis, it is sometimes used to treat aspirin overdoses. Aspirin requires an acidic environment for proper absorption, and the basic environment diminishes aspirin absorption in the case of an overdose. Sodium bicarbonate has also been used in the treatment of tricyclic antidepressant overdose. It can also be applied topically as a paste, with three parts baking soda to one part water, to relieve insect bites.
A paste from baking soda can be very effective when used in cleaning and scrubbing. For cleaning aluminium objects, the use of sodium bicarbonate is discouraged as it attacks the thin unreactive protective oxide layer of this otherwise very reactive metal. A solution in warm water will remove the tarnish from silver when the silver is in contact with a piece of aluminium foil.
Baking soda is commonly added to the rinse cycles of washing machines (together with the detergent) as a replacement for softener and also to remove odors. Sodium bicarbonate is also effective in removing heavy tea and coffee stains from cups when diluted with warm water.
Also, Baking Soda can be used ot put out small fires as it releases carbon dioxide upon heating. Recently, new studies have shown that Baking Soda can actually improve or even cure some types of cancers. Sodium Bicarbonate is indeed an useful chemical which i feel should be further exploited for any other uses, because studies may open up even more benefits of Sodium Bicarbonate! I end my post here and i ho[e that you have learnt alot about this special chemical usually used in Cooking. I will be skipping some practicals on the Measurement of length, and the densities of the regular and irregular solids.
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