The common name for sodium bicarbonate is baking soda.
Sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, is a white crystalline powder with the chemical formula NaHCO3. It has a slightly salty, alkaline taste and is commonly used as a leavening agent in baking, as well as in cleaning and deodorizing applications. Baking soda reacts with acids to produce carbon dioxide gas, which causes dough to rise and baked goods to become light and fluffy. Sodium bicarbonate is also used in medicine as an antacid to relieve heartburn and indigestion, and as a source of sodium ions in intravenous fluids.