AbstractsPhysics

Although Zachariasen was able to determine the gross structure of sodium bicarbonate, his assumptions preclude any conclusions to be drawn concerning the nature of the carbonate group itself. It is therefore the purpose of this paper to reinvestigate the sodium bicarbonate structure employing modern Weissenberg photography and least squares refinement techniques with particular emphasis placed on the determination of the carbonate group configuration. Zachariasen's parameters and bond distances will appear in conjunction with the results reported here to facilitate ease of comparison.