Reaction rate of sodium hydrogen carbonate Introduction Aim My aim of this investigation is to determine the reaction rate of sodium hydrogen carbonate and to gain a greater understanding of the chemical and its function. The significance of this lab is mainly personal since I love baking and am curious about the chemistry of the process. However, it is also important to know how much sodium bicarbonate could be used if I were to construct my own recipe, to receive a wishful result. Research Question How does the amount, in grams, of NaHO3(s) affect the volume of CO2(g) produced when heated with a Bunsen burner over a time span of 120 seconds, that is, what is the reaction rate of the decomposition for sodium hydrogen carbonate? Background information Firstly, the chemical NaHCO3 has many different names, the IUPAC name is …show more content…
One possibility is to measure the change in mass of NaHCO3 by putting it on a weighing scale connected to the computer. As the is being produced the chemical will weigh less over time. However, a problem with this method is that it is hard to heat the compound when it is stationary on a balance. To solve that problem, I could have mixed sodium bicarbonate with an acidic compound, since that would produce carbon dioxide as well. However, I wanted to just focus on just baking soda, so another method needs to be used. If I instead were to focus on the products, the volume of gas produce could be measured. A convenient method of collecting a gas is to put the chemical in a test tube which has a delivery tube connected to it. Put a measuring cylinder filled with water upside down in a through with water, and then heat the test tube with a Bunsen burner. Since the gas has a lower mass and are less dense than water, it will be pushed out from the measuring cylinder and the gas will rise to the