What gas do you think is in the bubbles that form when NaHCO3 (sodium bicarbonate) and C6H8O7 (citric acid) react? Why?
acid + carbonates >>> salt + water + carbon dioxide.
Memorize that.
I think the gas is carbon dioxide or oxygen cus water is H2O, so which one is right?
CO2
I think the has in this reaction is carbon dioxide. I had to do this for a homework assignment so go with mine.
When sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) and citric acid (C6H8O7) react, they undergo a chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide gas (CO2). The presence of Carbon dioxide gas in the form of bubbles is the result of this reaction.
To understand why carbon dioxide is produced in this reaction, we need to look at the chemical formulas of the reactants and their reaction mechanism:
NaHCO3 + C6H8O7 → Na3C6H5O7 + CO2 + H2O
In this reaction, sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) reacts with citric acid (C6H8O7) to form sodium citrate (Na3C6H5O7), carbon dioxide gas (CO2), and water (H2O).
The production of carbon dioxide gas can be explained by the acidic nature of citric acid. When citric acid combines with sodium bicarbonate, an acid-base reaction occurs. The citric acid donates a hydrogen ion (H+) to the sodium bicarbonate, resulting in the formation of carbon dioxide gas. The reaction between the hydrogen ion and the bicarbonate ion (HCO3-) forms carbonic acid (H2CO3), which then decomposes into water and carbon dioxide:
H+ + HCO3- → H2CO3
H2CO3 → CO2 + H2O
The carbon dioxide gas is released in the form of bubbles, creating the fizzing or effervescence observed in the reaction between sodium bicarbonate and citric acid.
In summary, the bubbles formed in the reaction between sodium bicarbonate and citric acid are due to the release of carbon dioxide gas (CO2) as a result of an acid-base reaction between citric acid and sodium bicarbonate.