Sodium carbonate vs Sodium bicarbonate?

Question

Sodium carbonate is used for swimming pools and cleaning coffee makers. Does Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) have the same properties and work much the same?

Answer 1

NO.

Answer 2

No. Sodium carbonate is much more alkaline and has a degreasing effect. Sodium bicarbonate is a very weak base.

Answer 3

NaHCO3 = sodium bicarbonate = baking soda

Na2CO3 = sodium carbonate = baking powder

Well, yes and no.  For cleaning, it wouldn't make any difference.  You're basically using the abrasive property of the undissolved solid.

In swimming pools you're using it to raise the pH of the water and both will work fine for that.

NaHCO3(s) --> Na+ + HCO3-

HCO3- + HOH <==> H2CO3(?) + OH-

.... there's no H2CO3 in aqueous solution, it's CO2(aq) and H3O, so drop the H2O in the following equation ...

HCO3- + HOH <==> H2O + CO2(aq) + OH-

.... and we get the following:

HCO3-  <==> CO2(aq) + OH-

NaHCO3(s)  <==> Na+ + CO2(aq) + OH-

Na2CO3(s) + HOH <==> 2Na+ + HCO3- + OH-

Na2CO3(s) + HOH <==> 2Na+ + CO2(aq) + 2OH-

In cooking there is a difference.  They are not interchangeable.  Sodium bicarbonate decomposes at a low temperature to make sodium carbonate, carbon dioxide and water vapor.  Sodium carbonate decomposes at a very high temperature, much higher than your oven.

2NaHCO3(s) --heat--> Na2CO3(s) + CO2(g) + H2O(g)

The CO2 bubbles in the cake or bread or whatever provide the little holes and the lightness of the baked goods.  Without the CO2 you would have unleavened bread which is very dense and has no holes.

======= Follow up =========

Skywolf X did not read that wikipedia article carefully.  The pKa of NaHCO3 is 6.3, not the pH.

Here's the quote: "It has a pKa of 6.3 in water which causes aqueous solutions to be mildly alkaline."  Solutions of BOTH sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate are basic.

Answer 4

They do not have the same cleaning ability- mainly because the polarity of the substance is changed.

With the extra carbonate ion in sodium bicarbonate, the polarity ( its ability to dissolve) is changed because of different electronegativity with the extra ion. THerefore, you can say that their quality of work are not the same.

However, you are correct in saying that they both work as cleaning agents.

Besides, the obvious difference is in the PH levels. Sodium carbonate is around 10, whilst sodium bicarbonate has a ph of around 6.3. Therefore, they are not even the same substance! ONe is an acid while the other is a base.

Hope this helps.

Just check the following two sites

Answer 5

definitely not Sod. carbonate is Na2CO3 while Sod. bicarbonate or Sod. hydrogencarbonate is NaHCO3 both have different physical as well as chemical properties

Answer 6

NO, b/c Sodium carbonate is  a strong Alkali while sodium bicarbonate is a weak alkali