NaHCO3:

NaHCO3 or Sodium Bicarbonate at a Glance

• has a molar mass of 84.01
• it is polar
• it is a triangular planar molecule
• also known as baking powder

The lewis structure of NaHCO3 looks like:

• this is a polar molecule because the Na and H have a positive charge and the O has a negative charge giving it two opposite charged poles

Intermolecular Forces Acting on NaHCO3
Intermolecular forces are the attracton between two stable molecules. There are four different types of intermolecular forces; london dispursion, dipole dipole, hydrogen bonding and iconic bonding. These different forces are formed for different reasons and have varing strengths. The intermolecular forces between two molecules of NaHCO3 are:

• London Dispursion: a very weak temporary dipole that is formed as the electrons move around the atom
• Dipole Dipole: the attraction between the positive pole of one polar molecule and the negative pole of another polar molecule, it is like a ionic bond but much weaker
• Hydogen Bonding: a attraction between the H of one molecule and the O,F,or N of a nearby molecule

The Shape of NaHCO3

Description:The grey dot in the center is the C, the three red dots are the O, the little white dot connected to the O to the right is the H, and the big blue dot on the left connected to the lefthand O is the Na.

A molecule's shape can be clasified using the VSEPER model which is, the valence electron pairs surrounding an atom repel one another, so the oribitals containing those electron pairs are oriented to be as far apart as possible. To clasify a molecule we must know its species type, the species type is written out as various forms of AXE. The A stands for the centeral atom, the X stands for the number of terminal atoms bonded to the centeral atom and the E stands for the number of unsaired pairs around the central atom. After we determine the molecule's species type we would look up the shape in a VSEPER table.

So using this model we can determine that there are three Xs and no Es because there is a double bond between the single oxygen and the central atom, which would make it a AX3. When we look up AX3 in a VSEPER table we can clasify it as a Triangular planar molecule, which has 3 terminal atoms placed at 120 degree angles form each other.

Why do we need NaHCO3?

Well what can't NaHCO3 aka baking soda do? It is used in...

• cooking: to help dough rise
• medicine: to help treat heartburn, prevent blister and scaring for burns, treat asprin overdose, relieve insect bites 
• hygine: as an exfoliant for skin, mouthwash and alternative to toothpaste
• cleaning agent: to remove tarnish from silver, added to laundry to remove odors and stains
• deodorizing: to eleminate odor from refrigerators and freezers

There are literally millions of uses for soduim bicarbonate! So next time you reach for that Arm & Hammer remember that  NaHCO3 is whats doing all the work!