Big Reaction: Alka-Seltzer and water…in space!

This one’s all about location, location, location.

We’ve all seen how Alka-Seltzer reacts with water. (And if you haven’t , today’s your day!) This reaction is especially neat because it takes place in the microgravity environment on board the International Space Station.

Alka-Seltzer is an antacid and pain reliever. The bubbling is due to the antacid part: sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) and anhydrous citric acid (C₆H₈O₇) reacting with water. Sodium bicarbonate produces CO₂ gas: 2NaHCO₃ → Na₂CO₃ + H₂O + CO₂.

Here’s the original video, from Plasma Ben: