Knowra Potassium bicarbonate Potassium bicarbonate Potassium bicarbonate (KHCO₃) is an inorganic salt composed of potassium ions and bicarbonate ions. It is used in food, agriculture, and fire suppression.
Baking powder : A dry leavening mixture that releases carbon dioxide when moistened and heated. Potassium bicarbonate can supply the carbon dioxide that raises baked goods.
Bicarbonate : The hydrogen carbonate ion, HCO₃⁻, which can accept or donate a proton. This ion gives potassium bicarbonate its acid–base behavior.
Sodium bicarbonate : An inorganic salt, NaHCO₃, composed of sodium ions and bicarbonate ions. It shares bicarbonate chemistry with KHCO₃ but supplies sodium rather than potassium.
Ionic compound : A substance whose ions are held together by electrostatic attraction in a crystal or melt. KHCO₃ is an ionic solid built from oppositely charged ions.
Potassium bicarbonate as a food additive : The use of KHCO₃ to regulate acidity, provide potassium, or leaven foods. Food applications include lowering acidity and replacing sodium-based ingredients.
Potassium ion : The positively charged ion K⁺ formed when a potassium atom loses one electron. It balances the negative charge of bicarbonate in KHCO₃.
Potassium carbonate : An inorganic salt with formula K₂CO₃, composed of potassium and carbonate ions. Unlike KHCO₃, it lacks hydrogen in the anion and is more strongly alkaline.
Chemical formula : A notation showing the elements and relative numbers of atoms in a substance. KHCO₃ records one potassium, one hydrogen, one carbon, and three oxygen atoms per formula unit.
Potassium bicarbonate as a fungicide : The use of KHCO₃ solutions to suppress fungal diseases on plants. Its agricultural use includes treatments against powdery mildew and other plant fungi.
Acid–base reaction : A chemical reaction involving transfer of protons or, more broadly, electron pairs. Acids react with bicarbonate to produce carbon dioxide and water.
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