Question

What is the role of tartaric acid in baking powder?

Answer 1

Baking powder

• The formula for baking powder is Sodium hydrogen carbonate $\left({\mathrm{NaHCO}}_3\right)$.
• Saturating a sodium carbonate solution with carbon dioxide yields sodium hydrogen carbonate.

Role of tartaric acid

• When baking powder is heated, it produces Sodium carbonate. Sodium carbonate is bitter in taste.
• The reaction is as follows:-
• $2{\mathrm{NaHCO}}_3\left(\mathrm{s}\right)\to {\mathrm{Na}}_2{\mathrm{CO}}_3\left(\mathrm{s}\right)+{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)+{\mathrm{CO}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)$
• Tartaric acid$\left({\mathrm{C}}_4{\mathrm{H}}_4{\mathrm{O}}_6\right)$ is used to neutralize bitterness.
• ${\mathrm{NaHCO}}_3+{\mathrm{C}}_4{\mathrm{H}}_6{\mathrm{O}}_6+2{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)\to 5{\mathrm{CO}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)+\mathrm{NaOH}+5{\mathrm{H}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)$