sodium carbonate: Meaning and Definition of

so'dium car'bonate

1. Also calledan anhydrous, grayish-white, odorless, water-soluble powder, NaCO, usually obtained by the Solvay process and containing about 1 percent of impurities consisting of sulfates, chlorides, and bicarbonates of sodium: used in the manufacture of glass, ceramics, soaps, paper, petroleum products, sodium salts, as a cleanser, for bleaching, and in water treatment.
2. Also calledthe decahydrated form of this salt, NaCO&multiplydot;10HO, used similarly.
3. the monohydrated form of this salt, NaCO&multiplydot;HO, used similarly, esp. in photography.