Challenge and Discover: Baking Soda Science

It’s time for another Challenge and Discover – our monthly science challenge link up co-hosted with with Science Sparks. Thanks so much to everyone that linked up to last month’s water science challenge. This month’s challenge is baking soda science. We are challenging you to conduct a science activity with baking soda and your kids. We have loads of suggestions for you.

Baking Soda Science for Kids

My son could play with baking soda and vinegar all day long. There’s just something about the bubbles, the mixing, the sensory experience. Talk about the chemical reaction – what’s happening? [Baking soda {sodium bicarbonate} is a base and vinegar {acetic acid} is an acid. When combined, they react to form water, a salt {sodium acetate}, and carbon dioxide gas. The bubbles produced by the reaction are the carbon dioxide gas escaping the water.]

What else will react with baking soda?

My son has been into making mixtures lately. I asked him if he wanted to mix baking soda with different things. Of course he jumped at the chance. I asked him what he wanted to use. He went through the kitchen cabinets and refrigerator choosing a lot of things.

Ingredients we used:

• flour
• mustard powder
• baking powder
• ground ginger
• celery salt
• salt
• sugar
• garlic powder
• marjoram
• cinnamon
• thyme
• pepper
• balsamic vinaigrette
• ranch salad dressing
• ketchup
• sweet relish
• yellow mustard
• Dijon mustard
• stone ground mustard
• milk
• soy sauce
• orange juice
• chicken broth
• seltzer water
• Miracle Whip
• rice vinegar
• lemon juice
• vinegar

We placed all of the dry ingredients in one ice cube tray and all of the wet ingredients in a second ice cube tray. The ice cube tray was perfect because we could use a small amount of each substance.

Aiden added a small amount {around 1/8 teaspoon} of baking soda to each of the substances in the liquid tray. He mixed up some baking soda and water. Then, he added dropperfuls of the solution to the each of the substance in the dry tray.

Here’s a video showing his experiments.

Of the dry ingredients, only the baking powder reacted with the baking soda solution. {And really that reacted because of the addition of water.}

 

Several of the liquid ingredients reacted – all of the ones with acidic components.

This experiment is quite similar to our Candy Heart Ingredients Experiment where we tested which ingredient(s) in Valentine candy hearts reacts with baking soda. {The candy heart experiment is a actually part of a whole series we did where one experiment led to another.} Today’s experiment is also similar to our Baking Soda Experiment we shared at Kids Activities Blog. Using different ingredients makes it all new again!

More Baking Soda Science Examples

B is for Baking Soda and Vinegar & BUBBLES: Use the baking soda and vinegar reaction to blow bubbles.

Try this easy to make tape volcano.

Make secret messages with baking soda.

Mix baking soda with frozen vinegar hearts or any frozen vinegar shapes.

Use baking soda and vinegar to make candy hearts (or raisins) dance.

Find more kitchen science ideas with baking soda.

Check out our Science at Home video hangout featuring baking soda later today.

I’ve got 20 more baking soda science ideas gathered from around the web.

Challenge and Discover: Baking Soda

Share your posts about baking soda science activities you have done with your kids on our Facebook pages or in the Science for Kids community on Google+. By sharing, you are giving us permission to grab one picture and feature your projects on our blogs and social media sites.

 

Thanks for sharing your baking soda science ideas!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get exclusive science explorations for young scientists in each issue.