What happens when you mix sodium carbonate with vinegar?

Question

It fizzes for awhile, but then there's white stuff left at the bottom. Is that sodium acetate? Please answer ASAP!

Answer 1

Sodium acetate sounds correct, though it should remain in solution because it's very soluble in water. Vinegar is approximately 4% acetic acid in water, so your reaction is:

Na2CO3(s) + 2CH3COOH(aq) = 2 Na+(aq) + 2 CH3COO-(aq) + CO2(g) + H2O

However, this is assuming you use spirit vinegar (also known as distilled vinegar or white vinegar). If you use malt vinegar or wine vinegar, you may get some side reactions. For instance, from wine vinegar you'll probably get some sodium tartrate.

The most likely explanation is that the white stuff is unreacted sodium carbonate. As stated above, vinegar is only 4% acetic acid, so you'll find it easy to add excess sodium carbonate. In 100ml of vinegar, there's only about 4g of acetic acid. (I'm not sure if it's 4% w/w or w/v.) Let's say it's 4g exactly, then you have only 0.07 mole of acetic acid in 100ml. You'd only need 3.71g of sodium carbonate to react with all the acetic acid in 100ml. (1 mole of sodium carbonate reacts with 2 moles of acetic acid.) It's extremely easy to add an excess of sodium carbonate and while it will dissolve eventually, dissolution of a solid in a liquid is a rate limited reaction, therefore it takes time, even if that time needed is short.

Edit. To test if it's unreacted sodium carbonate, take some of the white stuff and put it in a test tube. Then add a few drops of vinegar. If it reacts and gives off more carbon dioxide, it's unreacted sodium carbonate. It it does nothing, then it's likely to be sodium acetate.

Sodium acetate doesn't make sense to me because it has such a high solubility in water. It would be most unlikely to precipitate. An alternative experiment is to dissolve the sodium carbonate in water before doing the reaction. If done that way, do you still get the precipitate?

Whatever anyone else says, I still think it's unreacted sodium carbonate. Until I get a chance to do the reaction for myself, that is my bet.

Answer 2

Yes

Na2CO3 + 2CH3COOH => 2CH3COONa + CO2 + H2O

.........................................   Na acetate

Answer 3

Yes, it is Sodium Acetate. It's a very active reaction with a lot of Carbon dioxide bubbles forming and bursting at the surface.

When the reaction has finished, the white solid is the acetate, the CO2 is dispersed into the air and the water is a fairly clear liquid.

Na2CO3 + (CH3COOH)2 (acetic acid).

= 2CH3COONa (sodium acetate)+ CO2 + H2O

Answer 4

It errupts

Answer 5

It spills all over I think. Hey you ever put an egg in a microwave? I did that and when I took it out it look like it was getting bigger and after 20 seconds it exploded. I'm so dumb.

Answer 6

Baking Soda is Sodium bicarbonate and vinegar is acetic acid.

When they are mixed together, they react to form sodium acetate and carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide comes out as a foam.

Incidentally, it's great for putting down plug holes to clean them :)