Sodium bicarbonate

Sodium bicarbonate (IUPAC name: sodium hydrogen carbonate), commonly known as baking soda or bicarbonate of soda, or saleratus, is a chemical compound with the chemical formula NaHCO3. It is a salt composed of a sodium cation (Na+) and a bicarbonate anion (HCO3−). Sodium bicarbonate is a white solid that is crystalline but often appears as a fine powder. It has a slightly salty, alkaline taste resembling that of sodium carbonate ("washing soda"). The natural mineral form is nahcolite, although it is more commonly found as a component of the mineral trona. Sodium bicarbonate has many different names, including as baking soda, bread soda, cooking soda, brewing soda, and bicarbonate of soda. It can often be found near baking powder in grocery aisles. The term baking soda is most common in the United States, while bicarbonate of soda is more common in Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. The prefix bi- in "bicarbonate" comes from an outdated naming system predating molecular knowledge. It is based on the observation that there is twice as much carbonate (CO32−) per sodium in sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) as there is in sodium carbonate (Na2CO3). The modern chemical formulas of these compounds now express their precise chemical compositions which were unknown when the name bi-carbonate of potash was coined (see also: bicarbonate).