Why do baking soda and vinegar explode when they are mixed?

Answer 1

The experiment baking soda and vinegar is one of the most popular. However, it is deceptively simple: what appears to be one reaction is actually two, happening in quick succession. This reaction is an example of a multi step reaction What actually happens is the acetic acid reacts with sodium bicarbonate to form carbonic acid. It's really a double replacement reaction. Carbonic acid is unstable, and it immediately falls apart into carbon dioxide and water (it's a decomposition reaction). The bubbles you see from the reaction come from the carbon dioxide escaping the solution that is left. Carbon dioxide is heavier than air, so, it flows almost like water when it overflows the container. It is a gas that you exhale (though in small amounts), because it is a product of the reactions that keep your body going. What's left is a dilute solution of sodium acetate in water.
One of the products of this reactions is carbon dioxide gas. This it what the bubbling is
It is the chemical reaction between an acid and a base. The reaction releases carbon dioxide. Now bombs work because pressure builds up inside, much like how a balloon pops. So if baking soda and vinegar are placed inside a sealed container, then when the two are finally mixed, the buildup of the CO2 gas from the reaction can, in theory, cause the container to burst.
Acetic Acid and Sodium Bicarbonate are acids and bases respectively. When they are mixed they are neutralised, forming gaseous CO2 among other things.

This carbon dioxide bubbles through the liquid, building pressure and exploding, or pushing the liquids upwards.
It explodes because of compressed gas in the bottle. When vinegar and baking soda mix together, they chemically react (which means they mix to produce something else). This something else is a gas called carbon dioxide, this gas fills up the bottle causing pressure until the bottle cannot hold any more and EXPLODES!
The acetic acid in the vinegar combines with the sodium in baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to produce the solid sodium acetate. This releases concentrated carbon dioxide, which as a gas expands until it reaches atmospheric pressure. This is where the release of energy (fizzling, bubbling, exploding) comes from.

Answer 2

When bicarbonate of soda and vinegar are mixed together a chemical reaction occurs. This reaction produces carbon dioxide which inflates the bag with gas, or if in a container, will blow the lid and the liquid will spill out the top in a fizzing mess.

Answer 3

Vinegar is a solution of acetic acid (CH3COOH).

Baking Soda is NaHCO3.

When they mix, they react:

CH3COOH + NaHCO3 ---> CH3COONa + H2CO3

H2CO3 ---> H2O + CO2

The CO2 gas escaping causes the fizz. It is called effervescence.

Answer 4

Sodium bicarbonate is a base (once it's dissolved). Vinegar is basically a dilute solution of acetic acid.

Anytime an acid is mixed with a base, you're going to get a reaction.

Answer 5

Sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO3, reacts with acetic acid (vinegar), C2H4O2, to produce carbon dioxide, which is what fizzes out of the mixture.

Answer 6

It will grow and explode