Sunday 11 October 2015
What is the difference between Baking Soda and Cream of Tartar:
Bicarbonate of soda, or baking soda, has the chemical name sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO3. When dissolved in water, creates a slightly basic solution.Cream of tartar has the chemical name potassium bitartrate, KC4H5O6. When dissolved in water, creates a slightly acidic solution.
Baking powder (double acting) is a mixture of baking soda and cream of tartar.
If you were to make solutions of each of these substances of the same mass concentration (say 50g/L for each), and test them with pH paper:
Baking soda will be most basic.
Cream of tartar will be most acidic.
Baking powder will be somewhere in between.
