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An ion is a charged atom or molecule, while protons are positively charged particles. In other words, because of the instability of the carbonic acid, what’s formed is mostly carbon dioxide and water.» I briefly need to look this up. «If you mix baking soda with water, the hydrogencarbonate ions form a proton from the water and become carbonic acid. «Natron» has the chemical formula NaHCO₃, while «soda’s» is Na₂CO₃.įreisinger explains that the difference between «Natron» (baking soda) and «soda» (washing soda) lies in the acidic-base behaviour of the carbonate. «Soda», on the other hand, is called sodium carbonate (so, without the «bi» in the middle). Careful though, an English speaker’s «baking soda» and a German speaker’s «soda» are not the same thing.Ĭhemists refer to «Natron» as sodium hydrocarbonate or sodium bicarbonate.
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She later compares the German speaker’s «soda» with baking powder and with the product known in English-speaking countries as baking soda. The distinction is important – washing soda is the more aggressive of the two. Guide Everything you can do with baking soda (spoiler: a lot)įirst, Professor Freisinger tells me what the difference is between baking soda and washing soda.
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