what is the difference between baking powder and baking soda?

Question

is there any difference between them

Answer 1

They're used for the same purpose -- to lift (or leaven) quick breads, cakes and muffins -- but they arrive at the effect in two different ways, based on what they're made out of.

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. When you mix baking soda with a liquid acid, it releases carbon dioxide gas (CO2). The bubbles of CO2 make the dough puff up and rise.

Baking powder is sodium bicarbonate, plus tartaric acid powder. When you get baking powder wet, it releases carbon dioxide gas (CO2). The bubbles of CO2 make the dough puff up and rise.

The difference is that baking POWDER just needs to get wet to release bubbles of CO2. Baking SODA needs an acid in the recipe -- vinegar, lemon juice, and buttermilk being the most common.

For a good time, pour about 4 oz of white vinegar into a glass and place it in the bottom of the sink (you'll see why). Then pour about a teaspoon of baking soda into the glass. Whooooosh! Now try adding a half-teaspoon of baking soda to a glass of water and stir it up, then drink it. What happens? What does this suggest about the contents of your stomach?

Answer 2

Soda helps neutralize the acidity of milk and helps it the rising process. Baking powder just helps in the rising process. Use Baking Powder in Plain Flour to make it Rise, Soda to eliminate sour tastes such as with Buttermilk.
Baking Soda will actually adjust aquarium pH when it too acid NOT Baking Powder!!!!

Answer 3

by using fact the previous solutions have already observed, baking soda and baking powder, on a similar time as appropriate, are 2 different ingredients, and that they at the instant are not generally interchangeable in a recipe. (with one exception, so examine on!) Baking soda is organic sodium bicarbonate, on a similar time as baking powder combines sodium bicarbonate with an acid (generally cream of tartar) and, generally, a starch, which serves as a drying agent. by using fact baking soda is a "base" substance (as in acid/base), and baking powder incorporates an acid, the two ingredients create a different chemical reaction whilst mixed with the different factors in a recipe. in the adventure that your recipe demands baking powder, you could no longer replace baking soda. in the adventure that your recipe demands baking soda, you could effectively replace baking powder, yet you will need extra baking powder, and the style of the foodstuff won't be precisely what you assume. (Baking powder is a few million/4 as sturdy as baking soda). desire this enables - there extremely are no relatively sturdy substitutes for those 2 products. luckily, they are the two extremely low-fee, final for particularly a while contained in the pantry, and are hassle-free to locate in any halfway first rate food market. sturdy success!

Answer 4

Baking powder is baking soda with cornstarch, sodium aluminium sulfate, calcium sulfate, and mono-calcium phosphate added to it. If you mix either into a liquid, they will make bubbles, which causes biscuits to be flacky and stuff like that. But the bubbles made by baking powder are smaller and frothier. Try mixing equal parts of each into different liquids, like water, dish soap, and vinegar to see the difference. Or you can try using baking powder instead of baking soda in cookies and they will turn out like really fluffy.

Answer 5

Scott F has very detail correct answer. But please do not drink baking soda or baking powder solution.

In both cases read the ingredients on the box.

All other answers are good but presented from different angles.