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I'm trying to find chemical reactions that I can compare to that of vinegar and baking soda. I want to see if I can create a better reaction. Can you provide me with any suggestions to try?
Question Date: 2015-10-29
Answer 1:

I can't think of chemical reactions that are both dramatic and safe like that. Vinegar and baking soda is so useful because baking soda quickly breaks up into bicarbonate in water, and so gobbles up the vinegar's acetic acid. Anything else (e.g. cement) would either require a stronger acid (dangerous), or release more energy (also dangerous). Fire is a chemical reaction, for example, and is more dramatic, but a lot less safe.


Answer 2:

Vinegar is an acid. So is lemon juice. You could try that with baking soda. Congratulations on thinking about how to do a new experiment. Be careful that you don't use any dangerous chemicals. Some cleaning products make a dangerous mix when you combine them.

There's a Candy Science experiment where you buy sour candies and put them in water with baking soda. I bought sour apple Ninja lollipops, and I was disappointed - they didn't taste very sour, and they didn't give many bubbles in baking soda solution.



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