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Q21 (CDS-II/2012) Science & Technology › Basic Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) › Applied everyday chemistry Answer Verified

On the labels of the bottles, some soft drinks are claimed to be acidity regulators. They regulate acidity using

Result
Your answer: —  Â·  Correct: C
Explanation

Soft drinks utilize both carbon dioxide and bicarbonate salts to regulate acidity and maintain product stability. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is primarily used for carbonation, but when dissolved in water, it forms carbonic acid, which contributes to the beverage's acidic pH. To balance this acidity and prevent sharp fluctuations in pH, bicarbonate salts like sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) are added as buffering agents [2]. Sodium bicarbonate is an alkaline compound that neutralizes excess acid, acting as a pH regulator to ensure taste consistency and shelf stability [2]. While CO2 provides the characteristic fizz and a slight acidic bite, the bicarbonate salts act as a buffer to resist pH changes [2]. Lime (calcium hydroxide) is generally used in industrial processes or water treatment rather than as a direct acidity regulator in bottled soft drinks [3].

Sources

  1. [2] https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Sodium-Bicarbonate
  2. [1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/soft-drinks
  3. [3] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Acids, Bases and Salts > 2.1.6 Reaction of a Non-metallic Oxide with Base > p. 22
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