Question

You are designing a rocket propulsion vehicle using baking soda and vinegar. Vinegar is 5% v/v acetic acid (C₂H₄O₂) in water. Since plenty of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) has been added to a 2L soda bottle, the limiting reagent is the acetic acid in the vinegar. It can been determined from the below reaction sequence that one gmole of acetic acid produces one gmole of CO₂, which will propel our car.

CH₃COOH + NaHCO₃ → CH₃COONa + H₂CO₃

H₂CO₃ → CO₂ + H₂O

The burst pressure of the container is about 160 psig; therefore, we plan to work at 50% of this pressure or 80 psig. How much vinegar must we place in the 2L bottle to achieve this pressure?

Answer 1