Question

An elementary school project has students mix baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) with vinegar (acetic acid) to make a "volcanic" eruption. Based on the two reactants, what type of reaction would this produce?

Answer 1

This is an example of acid-base reaction.

Step-by-step explanation:

Sodium bicarbonate is an weak base. Vinegar (acetic acid) is an weak acid.

So, mixing sodium bicarbonate with vinegar would result an acid-base reaction.

In this acid-base reaction, gaseous carbon dioxide is formed along with heat evolution as acid-base neutralization is exothermic in nature.

Hence, a volcanic eruption occurs.

Balanced reaction:
`NaHCO_(3)+CH_(3)COOH\rightleftharpoons NaCH_(3)COO+CO_(2)+H_(2)O`