Which statement is true about baking soda?

Which statement is true about baking soda?

• A. It is an acid
• B. It is a base
• C. It is a metalloid
• D. It is a noble gas

Answer: (B)

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, a salt derived from a strong base and a weak acid. In water, the bicarbonate ion acts as a base because it can accept a proton from acids to form carbonic acid, which quickly decomposes into carbon dioxide and water. This gives a mildly basic solution, with a pH around 8.3, which is why baking soda is used to neutralize acids in cooking and cleaning. It’s not an acid, nor a metalloid, nor a noble gas. It’s worth noting that bicarbonate is amphiprotic, capable of acting as either an acid or a base in different contexts, but its typical behavior in aqueous solution is to behave as a base.

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, a salt derived from a strong base and a weak acid. In water, the bicarbonate ion acts as a base because it can accept a proton from acids to form carbonic acid, which quickly decomposes into carbon dioxide and water. This gives a mildly basic solution, with a pH around 8.3, which is why baking soda is used to neutralize acids in cooking and cleaning. It’s not an acid, nor a metalloid, nor a noble gas. It’s worth noting that bicarbonate is amphiprotic, capable of acting as either an acid or a base in different contexts, but its typical behavior in aqueous solution is to behave as a base.