Question

First aid manual suggests that vinegar should be used to treat wasp sting and balking soda for bee stings. 

(a) What does this information tell you about the chemical name of the wasp sting? 

(b) If there were no baking soda in the house, what other house hold substances would you use to treat as stings?

Answer 1

(a) The chemical present in the sting must be base because vinegar (aceticacid) is used to heal or neutralize the effect of wasp stings. 

(b) Since bee stings are treated by backing soda which is a base it means they must contain some acid. If baking soda is not available in the house, solution of ammonium hydroxide NH₄OH can be used for the same purpose. 

No, tartaric acid does not evolve any carbon dioxide during baking. Its role is to react with Na₂CO₃ formed when NaHCO₃ decomposes.