What is the difference between baking soda and baking powder?

Question

I personally am wondering if they are the same, why not add more of one and none of the other? I like my pancakes PERFECT!!!!!

The science to this is slowly melting my brain!!! =)

I once tried brushing my teeth with baking soda, and learned 2 things. 1: Baking soda tastes NASTY alone and 2: No matter what anyone says, it DOES NOT whiten your teeth!!!!!

Answer 1

same thing, different name

Answer 2

http://chemistry.about.com/cs/foodchemistry/f/blbaking.htm

Baking Soda

Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate. When baking soda is combined with moisture and an acidic ingredient (e.g., yogurt, chocolate, buttermilk, honey), the resulting chemical reaction produces bubbles of carbon dioxide that expand under oven temperatures, causing baked goods to rise. The reaction begins immediately upon mixing the ingredients, so you need to bake recipes which call for baking soda immediately, or else they will fall flat!

Baking Powder

Baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate, but it includes the acidifying agent already (cream of tartar), and also a drying agent (usually starch). Baking powder is available as single-acting baking powder and as double-acting baking powder. Single-acting powders are activated by moisture, so you must bake recipes which include this product immediately after mixing. Double-acting powders react in two phases and can stand for a while before baking. With double-acting powder, some gas is released at room temperature when the powder is added to dough, but the majority of the gas is released after the temperature of the dough increases in the oven.

Answer 3

They are similiar, but not the same.

They are both used for leavening, or causing the dough to rise as it's cooked by expanding the bubbles that naturally occur in the batter.

Baking powder contains baking soda in it, as well as other ingredients. You can leave the batter alone for 15-20 minutes and not have it lose its leavening power.

Baking soda is about 4x stronger than baking powder and so you should use it only on items that have a strong acidic ingredient. Also, as soon as it is added it begins to react, therefore you should bake it as soon as it's added.

Answer 4

They are not the same.

Baking Powder:

"Commercial product used to leaven baked goods. It consists of three ingredients: baking soda, the source of the carbon dioxide gas that causes the dough or batter to rise; an acid, such as cream of tartar, calcium acid phosphate, or sodium aluminum sulphate, which, when the powder is combined with a liquid, causes the baking soda to release its gas; and a starch such as cornstarch (cornflour) or flour, to prevent the powder from absorbing moisture. (Definition by Cooking.com)"

Baking Soda:

"A leavening agent, activated by interacting with something acid. Liquid ingredients like sour milk, sour cream, buttermilk, yogurt, molasses, and lemon juice help baking soda produce the gases which in turn make a batter rise. The batter should be baked as soon as possible after the liquid has interacted with the baking soda"

Answer 5

Both baking soda and baking powder are leavening agents, which means they are added to baked goods before cooking to produce carbon dioxide and cause them to 'rise'. Baking powder contains baking soda, but the two substances are used under different conditions.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate. When baking soda is combined with moisture and an acidic ingredient (e.g., yogurt, chocolate, buttermilk, honey), the resulting chemical reaction produces bubbles of carbon dioxide that expand under oven temperatures, causing baked goods to rise. The reaction begins immediately upon mixing the ingredients, so you need to bake recipes which call for baking soda immediately, or else they will fall flat!

Baking Powder

Baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate, but it includes the acidifying agent already (cream of tartar), and also a drying agent (usually starch).

Baking powder is available as single-acting baking powder and as double-acting baking powder. Single-acting powders are activated by moisture, so you must bake recipes which include this product immediately after mixing. Double-acting powders react in two phases and can stand for a while before baking. With double-acting powder, some gas is released at room temperature when the powder is added to dough, but the majority of the gas is released after the temperature of the dough increases in the oven.

How Are Recipes Determined?

Some recipes call for baking soda, while others call for baking powder. Which ingredient is used depends on the other ingredients in the recipe. The ultimate goal is to produce a tasty product with a pleasing texture. Baking soda is basic and will yield a bitter taste unless countered by the acidity of another ingredient, such as buttermilk. You'll find baking soda in cookie recipes. Baking powder contains both an acid and a base and has an overall neutral effect in terms of taste. Recipes that call for baking powder often call for other neutral-tasting ingredients, such as milk. Baking powder is a common ingredient in cakes and biscuits.

Answer 6

Both baking soda and baking powder are leavening agents, which means they are added to baked goods before cooking to produce carbon dioxide and cause them to 'rise'. Baking powder contains baking soda, but the two substances are used under different conditions.

BAKING SODA is pure sodium bicarbonate. When baking soda is combined with moisture and an acidic ingredient (e.g., yogurt, chocolate, buttermilk, honey), the resulting chemical reaction produces bubbles of carbon dioxide that expand under oven temperatures, causing baked goods to rise. The reaction begins immediately upon mixing the ingredients, so you need to bake recipes which call for baking soda immediately, or else they will fall flat!


BAKING POWDER contains sodium bicarbonate, but it includes the acidifying agent already (cream of tartar), and also a drying agent (usually starch). Baking powder is available as single-acting baking powder and as double-acting baking powder. Single-acting powders are activated by moisture, so you must bake recipes which include this product immediately after mixing. Double-acting powders react in two phases and can stand for a while before baking. With double-acting powder, some gas is released at room temperature when the powder is added to dough, but the majority of the gas is released after the temperature of the dough increases in the oven.

You can substitute baking powder in place of baking soda (you'll need more baking powder and it may affect the taste), but you can't use baking soda when a recipe calls for baking powder. Baking soda by itself lacks the acidity to make a cake rise. However, you can make your own baking powder if you have baking soda and cream of tartar. Simply mix two parts cream of tartar with one part baking soda

Answer 7

Baking soda:Sodium bicarbonate NaHCO3, or sodium hydrogen carbonate, also known as baking soda, bread soda, or bicarbonate of soda, is a soluble white anhydrous or crystalline chemical compound, with a slight alkaline taste resembling that of sodium carbonate. It is found in many mineral springs and also produced artificially.

Sodium bicarbonate, when exposed to an acid, releases carbon dioxide and water:

NaHCO3 + HCl → NaCl + H2O + CO2 (gas)
NaHCO3 + CH3COOH → NaCH3COO + H2O + CO2 (gas)
Above 60°C, it gradually decomposes into sodium carbonate, water and carbon dioxide, and at 200°C it is completely decomposed into sodium carbonate:

2NaHCO3 → Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2


Baking powder:Baking powder is a dry chemical leavening agent used in baking. There are several formulations; all contain an alkali, typically sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), and an acid in the form of salt crystals, together with starch to keep it dry. When dissolved in water the acid and alkali react and emit carbon dioxide gas, which expands existing bubbles to leaven the mixture. Most modern baking powders are double acting, that is, they contain two acid salts, one which reacts at room temperature, producing a rise as soon as the dough or batter is prepared, and another which reacts at a higher temperature, causing a further rise during baking. Baking powders that contain only the low-temperature acid salts are called single acting. Most recipes call for a mixing procedure that is designed to introduce many tiny air bubbles, for example, "cream the butter and sugar", which the leavening gas from baking powder will expand.

Common low-temperature acid salts include cream of tartar, calcium phosphate, and citrate. High-temperature acid salts are usually aluminium salts, such as calcium aluminum phosphate. They can be found not only in many baking powders, but also in many non-dairy coffee creamers. While dietary aluminium is not known definitively to be detrimental to human health, baking powders are available without it for people who are concerned, and also for those sensitive to the taste.

While various baking powders were sold in the first half of the 19th century, our modern variants were discovered by Alfred Bird. Eben Norton Horsford, a student of Justus von Liebig, who began his studies on baking powder in 1856, eventually developed a variety he named in honor of Count Rumford. August Oetker, a German pharmacist, made baking powder very popular when he began selling his mixture to housewives. The same recipe he created in 1893 is still sold as Backin in Germany. Oetker started the mass production of baking powder in 1898 and patented his technique in 1903.

Answer 8

baking soda is high in acids,can be used for cleaning,baking powder is for cooking.helps flour rise

Answer 9

I know one of them (sorry, I don't know which) has more acid than the other. They need acid to work. If the recipe doesn't have acid, you add the one.

I'll see if I can find the one with more acid.

Answer 10

http://kitchensavvy.typepad.com/journal/2005/01/baking_soda_vs_.html

too long to explain.