Sodium bicarbonate facts for kids
Sodium bicarbonate is a common chemical compound you might know as baking soda. People also call it bicarb or bicarbonate of soda. It's made of four different elements: sodium, hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen. Its scientific formula is NaHCO3. You usually see it as a white, powdery substance.
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What is Baking Soda Used For?
Baking soda is very useful in many ways, from cooking to cleaning and even helping with upset stomachs.
How Baking Soda Helps Your Stomach
Baking soda can act as an antacid. This means it helps to calm down too much acid in your stomach. If you've ever had heartburn or acid indigestion, it's that uncomfortable burning feeling caused by too much stomach acid. Drinking a small amount of baking soda mixed with water can help make that acid less strong. When baking soda meets acid, it creates carbon dioxide gas, which helps to neutralize the acid.
Baking Soda in Cooking
One of the most common uses for baking soda is in baking! It's a special ingredient called a leavening agent. This means it helps baked goods like cakes, cookies, and muffins rise and become light and fluffy. When baking soda mixes with an acid (like buttermilk, yogurt, or vinegar) and is heated, it produces carbon dioxide gas. These tiny gas bubbles get trapped in the dough or batter, making it expand and get airy.
Other Uses for Baking Soda
Baking soda is also used for many other things around the house:
- Cleaning: It can be used as a gentle scrubber for cleaning surfaces, removing odors, and even polishing silver.
- Deodorizing: Because it can absorb smells, people often put an open box of baking soda in their fridge to keep it smelling fresh.
- Fire Extinguishing: Believe it or not, baking soda can help put out small grease fires. When heated, it releases carbon dioxide gas, which smothers the flames by taking away their oxygen.
How is Baking Soda Made?
Baking soda is rarely found naturally in large amounts on Earth. Instead, most of the baking soda we use is made by people in factories. It's produced using a special process that combines different chemicals to create this useful compound.
Images for kids
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Cupcakes baked with baking soda as a raising agent
See also
In Spanish: Bicarbonato de sodio para niños
