7. If the baking soda had not been added, would there still have been a source of carbon dioxide being introduced into the water? Explain.

Yes, but not a big effect.

Yes there still would have been a source of carbon dioxide being introduced into the water. "Carbon Dioxide is present in water in the form of a dissolved gas.Surface waters normally contain less than 10 ppm free carbon dioxide, while some ground waters may easily exceed that concentration. Carbon dioxide is readily soluble in water. Over the ordinary temperature range (0-30 C) the solubility is about 200 times that of oxygen. Calcium and magnesium combine with carbon dioxide to form carbonates and bicarbonates.

Aquatic plant life depends upon carbon dioxide and bicarbonates in water for growth. Microscopic plant life suspended in the water, phytoplankton, as well as large rooted plants, utilize carbon dioxide in the photosynthesis of plant materials; starches, sugars, oils, proteins. The carbon in all these materials comes from the carbon dioxide in water.

When the oxygen concentration in waters containing organic matter is reduced, the carbon dioxide concentration rises. The rise in carbon dioxide makes it more difficult for fish to use the limited amount of oxygen present. To take on fresh oxygen, fish must first discharge the carbon dioxide in their blood streams and this is a much slower process when there are high concentration of carbon dioxide in the water itself." ~ BioWorld Support

No, if baking soda had not been added, there would not have been a source of carbon dioxide being introduced into the water. Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), releases carbon dioxide (CO2) when it reacts with an acidic substance. In this case, the acidic substance is the vinegar (acetic acid) added to the water. When baking soda and vinegar are mixed together, a chemical reaction occurs, resulting in the production of carbon dioxide gas.

Without the addition of baking soda, there would be no reaction with the vinegar, and therefore, no carbon dioxide gas would be produced.

To determine if there would still be a source of carbon dioxide introduced into the water without the addition of baking soda, we need to understand the role of baking soda in this process.

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a common ingredient used in cooking and baking. It also has properties that make it useful in various chemical reactions. When baking soda is added to water, it can undergo a chemical reaction known as "neutralization."

In this context, if baking soda had not been added, we need to consider if there would be any other source of carbon dioxide present in the system.

One possible source of carbon dioxide could be the air. Carbon dioxide is naturally present in the Earth's atmosphere, and it can dissolve in water to some extent. However, the amount of carbon dioxide dissolved in the air is relatively low, so it wouldn't be a significant source of carbon dioxide in this case.

Another potential source of carbon dioxide could be a chemical reaction occurring in the water itself. For example, if the water contained dissolved carbonates or bicarbonates, they could react with an acid or undergo thermal decomposition to release carbon dioxide. However, without more information about the specific composition of the water, it is difficult to determine if this would be the case.

In conclusion, without the addition of baking soda or any other known sources of carbon dioxide, it is unlikely that there would be a significant source of carbon dioxide being introduced into the water.