Question

Explain : Bubbles are produced when acetic acid is added to a solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate.

Answer 1

Reaction of acetic acid with sodium hydrogen carbonate:

• When acetic acid is reacted with sodium hydrogen carbonate carbon dioxide is evolved along with the formation of Sodium acetate and water during the chemical reaction.
• The balanced chemical reaction can be represented as:

$\underset{\mathrm{Sodium}\mathrm{hydrogen}\mathrm{carbonate}}{{\mathrm{NaHCO}}_3\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Acetic}\mathrm{acid}}{{\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{COOH}\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)}\to \underset{\mathrm{Sodium}\mathrm{acetate}}{{\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{COONa}\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Water}}{{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Carbon}\mathrm{dioxide}}{{\mathrm{CO}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}$

• Due to the evolution of carbon dioxide gas formation of bubbles takes place during the reaction.

The evolution of carbon dioxide gas is accompanied by effervescence. Therefore, bubbles is released during the reaction.