An ion is a charged atom or molecule, while protons are positively charged particles. In other words, because of the instability of the carbonic acid, what’s formed is mostly carbon dioxide and water.» I briefly need to look this up. «If you mix baking soda with water, the hydrogencarbonate ions form a proton from the water and become carbonic acid. «Natron» has the chemical formula NaHCO₃, while «soda’s» is Na₂CO₃.įreisinger explains that the difference between «Natron» (baking soda) and «soda» (washing soda) lies in the acidic-base behaviour of the carbonate. «Soda», on the other hand, is called sodium carbonate (so, without the «bi» in the middle). Careful though, an English speaker’s «baking soda» and a German speaker’s «soda» are not the same thing.Ĭhemists refer to «Natron» as sodium hydrocarbonate or sodium bicarbonate.

She later compares the German speaker’s «soda» with baking powder and with the product known in English-speaking countries as baking soda. The distinction is important – washing soda is the more aggressive of the two. Guide Everything you can do with baking soda (spoiler: a lot)įirst, Professor Freisinger tells me what the difference is between baking soda and washing soda.

Natron is baking soda