Question

For baking a cake, baking powder is used. If baking soda is used instead of baking powder while preparing the cake, what will be the role of the tartaric acid added to baking soda?
A. It will make it more acidic
B. It will make it more basic
C. It will neutralize it
D. None of these

Answer 1

Hint: Think about the composition of both baking powder and baking soda. Consider what would happen when both are added to cakes and heated and baked.

Complete step by step solution:
First, let us look at the components of both baking soda and baking powder. Then we will check what will happen when they are both heated and deduce the correct answer to this question.
We know that in baking soda the only chemical present is sodium bicarbonate which has the chemical formula of $NaHC{{O}_{3}}$. On the other hand, baking powder contains a combination of sodium bicarbonate and tartaric acid.
On heating sodium bicarbonate decomposes into sodium carbonate and carbon dioxide. It is this carbon dioxide that makes cakes fluffy and airy. The reaction that occurs is:
\[2NaHC{{O}_{3}}\xrightarrow{heat}N{{a}_{2}}C{{O}_{3}}+C{{O}_{2}}+{{H}_{2}}O\]
Here, we can see that a strong base $N{{a}_{2}}C{{O}_{3}}$ is formed. This lends a bitter taste to the cake. But, in baking powder, tartaric acid is present to neutralize any effect sodium carbonate may have on the cake. The neutralization reaction of tartaric acid and sodium carbonate occurs and a salt called sodium tartrate is formed along with water. Thus, although there is an acid present in baking powder, it will not make the cake acidic but actually, reduce the bitterness that will be imparted due to sodium carbonate by neutralizing it.

Hence, the correct answer to this question is ‘C. It will neutralize it.’

Note: Remember that only baking soda can also be used for cooking purposes but you will always notice the characteristic bitter taste of a strong base in your food. Thus, it is better to just use baking powder so that the bitter taste is neutralized. A slightly saline taste of sodium tartrate will be present.