Sodium bicarbonate, commonly known as baking soda or bicarbonate of soda, is an alkaline compound that, when combined with acid, produces harmless but useful carbon dioxide gas. When used to bake biscuits or cake, the small bubbles of carbon dioxide gas become trapped in the batter, causing it to inflate, or rise.
Baking soda is well known for its ability to absorb odors. This is the reason many people place a box of baking soda in refrigerators, freezers, and other enclosed spaces to absorb random odors.
