Sodium benzoate's chemical formula is C6H5COONa. That's a total of seven atoms of carbon, five atoms of hydrogen, two atoms of oxygen, and one atom of sodium. The molecular weight of this substance is 144.12 grams per mol. Sodium benzoate is the sodium salt of benzoic acid. One gram of this salt is soluble in 2 milliliters of water, in 75 milliliters of alcohol, and in 50 milliliters of 90% alcohol. The salt is insoluble in ether. A typical aqueous solution will be slightly alkaline and typically has a sweetish astringent taste.
This substance is used as a preservative in drinks.