Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃), which is a weak base. Milk is slightly acidic or close to neutral, typically having a pH between 6.7 and 6.9. Adding a small amount of a weak base like baking soda to milk will neutralize some of the natural acidity and shift the pH towards the alkaline side. A small amount of a weak base will make the solution weakly alkaline, not strongly alkaline or acidic. Milkmen traditionally added baking soda to milk to prevent it from souring quickly, as it neutralizes the lactic acid produced by bacteria, which causes souring and lowers the pH.
A milkman adds a small amount of baking soda to milk. This makes the pH of the milk
Asked in UPSC CAPF 2021 · Topic: Acid, Base and Salt (Role of pH in Everyday Life (e.g., Digestive System, Tooth Decay, Soil pH))
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