does soda ash decompose at all?

Dear Student

Soda ash or sodium carbonate, Na₂CO₃ is the active ingredient in washing soda. On heating it at a temperature above 500^o  C, a thermal decomposition reaction takes place in the same which can be summarised as follows -

Na₂CO₃ (s) ----> Na₂O (s) + CO₂ (g) 

Thus, sodium oxide, Na₂O is formed primarily used in glass cutting, along with oxygen which is a gas, playing an essential role in all biological respiration processes.


Regards