Which substances react with Baking Soda?

This is a simple experiment, perfect for extending knowledge after a volcano or other baking soda themed activity.

Materials

Baking Soda

Vegetable oil

Vinegar

Lemon Juice

Lime Juice

Water

Pipettes

Ice cube tray

Muffin tray

Anything else you want to test

Things to think about

What to keep constant?

Amount of baking soda

Amount of  substance to test

Variable

Substance being tested

How will you know a reaction has taken place?

What might you see?

Method

Place your baking soda into containers, a muffin tray or similar is perfect for this. Make sure you add the same amount to each container.

Can you predict which substances will react and which won’t?

Use a pipette to add each substance to a different container of baking soda, make sure you use the same amount of each substance.

Record which reacts and which do not react. What do you notice about the substances that react?

Can you think of anything else to test?

Why does this happen?

Bicarbonate of soda – baking soda is alkali which reacts with acids to produce carbon dioxide.

Extension Ideas

Can you test the substances that reacted with the baking soda again? Which gives the strongest reaction?

Make your own indicator.

Try one of our other baking soda experiment ideas.

Great for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2

Working Scientifically