Why is baking soda called “bicarbonate of soda” when the formula is NaHCO3 (only one carbon)?
In: Chemistry
It’s really old nomenclature. Bi means twice. So sodium bicarb has twice the carbonate ratio to sodium, compared to sodium carbonate (Na2CO3).
It’s a horrible naming system, it’s changed now, but nomenclature is very difficult to change, most especially amongst chemists, so most people still use sodium bicarb. Official modern name is hydrogen carbonate.
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