Baking soda is

Options

A. Basic salt
B. Acidic salt
C. Complex salt
D. Double salt

Explanation

To solve the question about baking soda, we will follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Chemical Formula**:
The first step is to identify the chemical formula of baking soda. Baking soda is chemically known as sodium bicarbonate.

**Formula**: NaHCO₃

2. **Understand the Components**:
Baking soda consists of two main ions:
- Sodium ion (Na⁺)
- Bicarbonate ion (HCO₃⁻)

3. **Determine the Nature of Ions**:
- Sodium ion (Na⁺) comes from sodium hydroxide (a strong base).
- Bicarbonate ion (HCO₃⁻) can act as a weak acid.

4. **Analyze the Acid-Base Properties**:
In an aqueous solution, the bicarbonate ion can partially dissociate to release hydrogen ions (H⁺), which indicates its weak acidic nature. However, the presence of the sodium ion contributes to the overall basicity of the solution.

5. **Conclusion on the Nature of the Solution**:
Since Na⁺ comes from a strong base and HCO₃⁻ is a weak acid, the overall nature of the solution when baking soda is dissolved in water will be slightly basic.

Therefore, the solution of baking soda is basic.

### Final Answer:
Baking soda (NaHCO₃) is a basic compound when dissolved in water.

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