Question

When you add sodium hydrogen carbonate to acetic acid in a test tube, a gas liberates immediately with brisk effervescence. Name this gas. Describe the method of testing this gas.

List two observations which you make when you add a pinch of sodium hydrogen carbonate to acetic acid in a test tube. Write chemical equation for the reaction that occurs.

Answer 1

Carbon dioxide gas gets liberated.

When a pinch of sodium hydrogen carbonate is added to acetic acid in a test tube, a brisk effervescence is produced because of the liberation of carbon dioxide gas.

When this gas is passed through the lime water, it turns lime water milky. This shows that the gas liberated is carbon dioxide gas.

The chemical reaction can be represented as

CH₃COOH_(aq) + NaHCO_3(S) → CH₃COONa_(aq) + H₂O_(l) + CO_2(g) ↑