Tanu takes 500 mL milk each in two bowls P and Q. She adds curd to both the bowls and baking soda only to bowl Q as shown below. (a) Bowl P - 500 mL milk + 1 teaspoon curd (b) Bowl Q - 500 mL milk + 1 teaspoon curd + 1 teaspoon baking soda In which bo

The milk will curdle faster in Bowl Q, which contains both the curd and the baking soda, compared to Bowl P, which only has curd. The reasoning behind this is as follows: 1. **Role of Curd**: The curd contains lactic acid bacteria, which help ferment the lactose (milk sugar) in the milk, converting it into lactic acid. This acidification process leads to the coagulation of the proteins in milk, resulting in curd formation. 2. **Role of Baking Soda**: Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is an alkaline substance. When added to the milk, it slightly increases the pH, creating a more favorable environment for certain types of bacterial action. Additionally, baking soda can react with acids to produce carbon dioxide gas, which may help to accelerate the fermentation process in some cases. In Bowl Q, the presence of both the curd and baking soda means that the combination of lactic acid fermentation (from the curd) and the effects of baking soda can work together to speed up the curdling process. In contrast, Bowl P relies solely on the curd, which might take longer without the potential stimulating effect of the baking soda. Therefore, milk in Bowl Q will curdle faster than in Bowl P due to the presence of baking soda.