Sodium hydrogen carbonate, also known as sodium bicarbonate or baking soda, is considered an amphoteric compound, which means it can act as both an acid and a base depending on the conditions.
In the presence of a strong acid, such as hydrochloric acid, sodium hydrogen carbonate will act as a base and react to neutralize the acid, producing carbon dioxide gas, salt, and water. The reaction can be represented as follows:
NaHCO3 + HCl -> NaCl + H2O + CO2
On the other hand, in the presence of a strong base, such as sodium hydroxide, sodium hydrogen carbonate will act as an acid and react to neutralize the base, producing water, salt, and carbon dioxide gas. The reaction can be represented as follows:
NaHCO3 + NaOH -> Na2CO3 + H2O
In summary, sodium hydrogen carbonate can act as both an acid and a base depending on the reaction it is involved in.
Is sodium hydrogen carbonate both an acid and base
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