Have you ever mixed vinegar and baking soda (and maybe a little red food coloring) to create a homemade volcano? It’s fun to see the reaction of these two common household chemicals. But what is happening at the molecular level that makes these two substances react?
This reaction is known as an acid-base reaction. Vinegar is the acid and baking soda is the base. Acids have a hydrogen ion, and bases have a hydroxide ion, which is one oxygen and one hydrogen bonded together.
When the acid and base come together, the base’s hydroxide ion takes the acid’s hydrogen ion. So, then you’ve got TWO hydrogens and ONE oxygen….H2O! You’ve made water!
The other chemicals in the acid and base will bond together to create salt. In the reaction between baking soda and vinegar, the bubbles are caused by molecules of carbon dioxide, or CO2, that are released from the baking soda.
The question you’re exploring today is: How does temperature affect the rate of this reaction? Do you think the reaction will be faster or slower at warmer temperatures?