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ENO powders, and other medical effervescents, are made to fizz through a combination of an acid and a water-soluble alkali that contains carbonate or bicarbonate, in addition to the active ingredient used for the medical curation. The reaction between the acid and the alkali has Carbon Dioxide as a by-product, which causes the 'fizz' effect. In the case of ENO, it is:

H3C6H5O7 (aq) + 3NaHCO3 (s) → 3 CO2 + 3 H2O(l) + Na3C6H5O7 (aq)

The 'HCO3' in the second reactant (left of arrow) represents the Bicarbonate in this reaction. The first reactant is the acid, known as citric acid, found naturally in citrus fruits. It can also be written C6H8O7

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12y ago

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