On Sat, 12 Feb 2011 22:50:28 -0500, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:

From my chemistry days, I remember that baking soda is VERY
mildly alkaline, but not enough to really call it an
alkalai. It does combine with acids, to release carbon
dioxide. Leaving the sodium salt of the acid.


It is only a matter of degree. Anything has a pH. Higher than neutral
pH is Alkaline (or basic), anything with lower than neutral pH is
Acidic. Alkalies buffer acids, and acids buffer alkalies.
Neutral pH is 7.0.

Baking soda is pH 8.2 (+1.2)
Normal white vinegar is 5-10% Acetic Acid with a pH ranging from 2.4
to 3.4 (-4.6 to-3.6)

In the case of neutralizing battery leakage in a flashlight you do not
want something very agressively acidic - you want to gently neutralize
the chemical without attacking the metal of the flashlight - just like
when neutralizing battery acid you do not want to use a strong alkali
that could attack anything - but more importantly you do NOT want a
violent chemical reaction and it's associated heat.