Acetic acid (CH3COOH) is a weak acid commonly found in household vinegar, while sodium hydrogen carbonate (NaHCO3), also known as baking soda, is a basic compound.
When you mix these two substances together, the acetic acid donates a proton (H+) to the sodium hydrogen carbonate. This proton transfer reaction results in the formation of carbonic acid (H2CO3), which is unstable and quickly decomposes into carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). The equation can be broken down into several steps:
Step 1: CH3COOH + NaHCO3 → CH3COO-Na+ + H2CO3
Step 2: H2CO3 → CO2 + H2O
Overall: CH3COOH + NaHCO3 → CO2 + H2O + NaCH3COO
So, in summary, mixing acetic acid and sodium hydrogen carbonate leads to the production of carbon dioxide gas, which causes the fizzing or bubbling effect commonly observed in this reaction. The other products are water and sodium acetate.
extended reading：
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