Question for chemical engineers

[V5RED]

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A coworker and myself recently got in an argument over the most effective way to use baking soda (sodium carbonate, ie a weak base) to counteract an overly acidic stomach. I said it is best to dissolve the base in water and drink it. She said it is best to dissolve it in an acidic beverage instead of water.

I objected that this would neutralize much of the baking soda thus rendering it useless or at least less effective.

She told me there is a special principle in chemical engineering in which you "get the ball rolling" by starting the reaction in a small amount so it will be super effective. She thinks this acid base interaction in the juice will catalyze the reaction thus rendering her method more effective even if we start with the same amount of baking soda. She said that because I study chemistry and not chemical engineering I could not possibly understand her reasoning, but maybe some of you can be more helpful.

As far as I can see, even if her idea of catalysis (which is novel to me since as I have been taught, a catalyst is meant to not be part of the reaction, not something that is chemically altered by the reaction) is true, the naturally occurring protons in water or the stomach acid itself should cover that.

Is there anything to what she is saying, and if so where can I read about it/what is it called?

edit: reworded a bit for clarity, no change to the meaning of the words

 

[supermintyfresh]

Chemical Engineer here. That's absurd. Your stomach is very acidic either way, so it doesn't matter if the sodium bicarb tablet is dissolved in water or a weak acid. I would say to just chew a TUMS tablet like the directions suggest, and not deviate from that in any other way.

Catalysts and enzymes work by decreasing the activation energy, by lining molecules up in a certain conformation -- I don't think it applies to acid-base chemistry, which doesn't need catalysts because it's already a very fast reaction.

 

[V5RED]

Thank you for your input. I thought it sounded absurd, but maybe she knew something I didn't and wanted input from someone who had studied chemical engineering.

edit: I would, of course, just chew Tums. I just didn't have any Tums, but I had baking soda which is basically powdered Tums and led to her and I discussing the best way to use it for an upset stomach.

 

[touchpause13]

Mr TP here. Also a ChemE

I couldn't agree more, acid base reactions happen near instantaneously so the catalyst does not apply here.

Think of a chemical rxn like sex. A catalyst might help you get naked or spread your legs allowing for easier penetration AKA forming the right conformation like supermintyfresh said. But acids and bases are super horny, they don't need a catalyst, they just go at it. Make sense?

 

[V5RED]

Yes, this makes sense. Thank you for your input as well.

I am also curious about her claim that you can add a small amount of one of the reactants to a large amount of the other reactant to "get it going". She claimed this is a catalyst though as far as I know you can't use reactants as a catalyst.

Her exact words:
"the acidic drink acts as a catalyst, starting the reaction progressing before it hits your stomach. If you were a Chemical Engineer, you'd understand that you need to start up a process before you can reach optimum reaction speed and production. 🙂"
"it's not necessarily being sped up, as much as reaching the most effective conditions quicker, if that makes sense"

Is there anything to what she is saying here? If so does it have a name I can use to look it up. It sounds to me like she is misapplying something she learned in class.

 

[Willy38]

Yes, this makes sense. Thank you for your input as well.

I am also curious about her claim that you can add a small amount of one of the reactants to a large amount of the other reactant to "get it going". She claimed this is a catalyst though as far as I know you can't use reactants as a catalyst.

Her exact words:
"the acidic drink acts as a catalyst, starting the reaction progressing before it hits your stomach. If you were a Chemical Engineer, you'd understand that you need to start up a process before you can reach optimum reaction speed and production. 🙂"
"it's not necessarily being sped up, as much as reaching the most effective conditions quicker, if that makes sense"

Is there anything to what she is saying here? If so does it have a name I can use to look it up. It sounds to me like she is misapplying something she learned in class.

sounds like she is confusing allosteric inhibitors (sigmoidal curve) with a simple acid base rxn. The only way to increase rxn rate is either lower activation energy via a catalyst or raise the energy of reactants through temp increase.

 

[moisne]

Dont dissolve in soda or weak acid- thats dumb. Drink drano - problem solved.

(ChemE)