FYKOS Year 34 Series 3 Problem 1 — baking · FYKOS 34 #34.3.1

Physics · thermodynamics

Problem

While baking a gingerbread, baking soda, or more rigidly sodium bicarbonate (

\ce{NaHCO3}

), has to be added into the batter. Let's assume, that at high temperatures sodium bicarbonate decomposes as follows

\ce{2 NaHCO3 -> Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2}\,,

that is, into sodium carbonate, carbon dioxide and water. How much will the volume of the gingerbread increase as a consequence of creation of water steam and carbon dioxide bubbles in the batter after adding

10\,\mathrm{g}

of sodium bicarbonate? Assume that the water steam and carbon dioxide behave as ideal gases and that the batter solidifies around the bubbles at temperature

200\,\mathrm{^\circ\mskip-2mu\mathup{C}}

and pressure

1~013\,\mathrm{hPa}

Related theory

thermodynamics

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