You might have heard the advice of dissolving a teaspoon of baking soda in water to cure heartburn.
While we cannot guarantee a cure and act as doctors, we can assure you that baking soda can be dissolved in water. There are a few reasons why baking soda dissolves in water.
Does baking soda dissolve in water?
Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate readily dissolves in water to form an ionic solution. The melting or decomposition point of the baking soda compound starts at 176 degrees Fahrenheit and it takes about 15 minutes to dissolve. In cold water, the process is much slower.
Baking soda does dissolve in water. But the dissolving time may differ according to the water temperature. Let’s get to know more of the dissolving fact of baking soda.
Coldwater:
If you put baking soda in cold water, and stir it constantly, you can see the baking soda dissolve but it would take quite a lot of time.
The energy of water molecules in cold water is the lowest. This means that the molecules are very slow and hardly move.
If the water molecules don’t move enough, there is less contact with baking soda, which only melts away in a physical change as no heat is applied.
Even if you stir it for long to dissolve baking soda, you might still notice specks and white granules since the breakdown is not complete in the cold temperature.
Hot/Warm water:
The scenario is quite different when you put baking soda in hot or even warm water.
In hot water, the energy of the water molecules is much higher and hence they make quick movements everywhere. Due to this, there is more contact and collision with baking soda granules.
At about 176 degrees Fahrenheit, you might notice that baking soda starts to melt. In warmer water, it would not take more than 10 to 15 minutes for baking soda to dissolve completely.
Boiling water:
In boiling water, baking soda or sodium bicarbonate compound would break down in minutes.
Due to the high heat, and hence more energy, the decomposition of the compound to ions and followed by the formation of the acidic solution takes very little time.
Does baking soda dissolve better in hot or cold water?
If you have ever been interested in one of those science experiments, you might have put some salt, sugar, or other solids in cold and hot water.
If you have not noticed it before, any solid will dissolve better in hot water than in cold water. The case is quite the same for baking soda. What happens is, when baking soda is put into hot water, the water molecule in hot water has a lot of energy.
You may want to note that the energy of water molecules is higher when hotter than colder. When molecules have higher energy, they also move a lot faster.
Hence, when baking soda is added to hot water, the molecules of the baking soda granules will collide a lot more with the hot water molecules.
When the baking soda molecules collide and come in contact with the hot water more in a shorter time, the time of dissolving speeds up. Hence, baking soda will dissolve faster and better in hot water than cold water.
What temperature does baking soda dissolve in water?
Baking soda would also dissolve in colder water but you might notice how it takes quite long.
Even after quite some time, granules of baking soda remain when dissolved in cold water. This is because baking soda only dissolves in water when the water is at a certain high temperature.
The temperature at which baking soda dissolves is 176 degrees Fahrenheit (80 degrees Celsius.
When you put baking soda in water and heat it, baking soda will start to break down at the molecular level when the temperature rises just above 176 degrees Fahrenheit. After the breakdown, baking soda will dissolve completely in 3 different compounds.
Why does baking soda dissolve in water?
Baking soda dissolves in water for the following reasons:
Ionization and Solubility:
Baking soda is gradually soluble in water because of its chemical composition. Baking soda is also a salt, the chemical name of which is sodium bicarbonate.
The solubility of this compound is moderate to high in water depending on the temperature of the water. Solubility of baking soda is the extent to which the element may dissolve in any liquid and is measured in grams of solute per liter of solvent.
In this case, the solubility of baking soda in water is 10 grams/100 milliliters. When this compound is in contact with water, the bonds of the compound break down, and baking soda ionizes.
Further, the ionized compounds then hydrolyze to produce an acidic solution where the baking soda molecules dissolve completely.
Energy Transfer:
You may want to remember that baking soda will only dissolve in water quickly if the temperature has crossed the mark of 176 degrees Fahrenheit.
Otherwise, the process of dissolving is slower and more gradual, however, it will still break down. This happens due to the energy of water molecules.
Baking soda will dissolve in water as the water molecules move and collide with baking soda.
How long does it take baking soda to dissolve in water?
On average, it would take about 15 minutes for baking soda to dissolve in water completely. However, you may want to keep in mind that the time of dissolving would vary based on a few factors. The primary factor would be the temperature of the water.
If you add baking soda to boiling water it would take about 3 to 5 minutes. While putting baking soda in cold water could take about 20 to 30 minutes. The granule size of baking soda can also vary the dissolving time, with smaller granules dissolving faster.
Is baking soda in water endothermic?
All chemical reactions are either endothermic or exothermic. Endothermic is when energy from surroundings is taken in as the reaction takes place. Exothermic is when energy or heat is given out as the reaction takes place.
When you put baking soda in water, a chemical reaction takes place. The reaction is between sodium bicarbonate and Dihydrogen monoxide which is commonly known as H2O. Like every chemical reaction, baking soda’s reaction with water is exothermic not endothermic.
When the reaction takes place, you would notice that the temperature of the water rises slightly. As the combination is an exothermic reaction, the breakdown or decomposition of sodium bicarbonate or baking soda gives off heat to water.
Is dissolving baking soda in water a physical or chemical change?
In any chemical reaction, a physical change is when only the physical properties of the elements involved are changing. This means, there is an alteration in the looks, shape, size, color, and odor of the elements.
When there is a chemical change in a reaction, you can expect to see no visible change but the chemical composition of the elements involved is altered permanently.
When you dissolve baking soda in water, while the baking soda disappears, there is no physical change in how the water looks.
So, when no heat is used, the solubility of baking soda in water is a physical change. That is why if the water from the solution is evaporated, you would be left with baking soda.
On the other hand, when hot water is applied, the decomposition of baking soda’s chemical bonds starts to begin. This ionizes and separates the chemical combination of baking soda. Causing a permanent chemical change.
Does baking soda dissolve in water conduct electricity?
As you know, baking soda, when dissolved in water releases heat along with acid. It also releases carbon dioxide. Before the final carbon dioxide is produced, the solid baking soda decomposes when it reacts with water molecules.
On decomposition, the bonds of the baking soda break down and form ions. Due to the formation of positive and negative ions, the solution of baking soda and water becomes capable of conducting electricity.
It is worth heeding that electrolyte solutions are the only ones that can conduct electricity due to the presence of polar ions.
Otherwise, electrons are not able to pass through the solution. Acidic solutions are water can also conduct electricity. When baking soda is dissolved in water, a slightly acidic solution is formed.
However, it is not strong enough that you might see a bulb light up if you were to conduct electrolysis or run a circuit electrode through the baking soda solution. However, baking soda in its solid form cannot conduct electricity in any way.
Final Thoughts
If you are to put baking soda in warm water, the water molecules will collide with the baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate molecules to dissolve the latter. Due to the moderate solubility of baking soda in water, it would take about 15 minutes, compared to cold water which might take a lot longer.