Question

"Place ½ teaspoon of baking soda in each large container. If the baking soda is lumpy, first place it on a small plate and use the back of a spoon to break up the lumps. Why is it important to break up the lumps?"

Answer 1

Answer:

The reaction only takes place if the reactants are in contact, then the surface exposed is very important because as the exposed surface of the reactants increases, the reaction velocity also increases. If the lumps are not broken up, a big amount of baking soda would be only available to react after the surrounding soda has already reacted.