A colourless crystalline compound, CH₃COONa, which is known as the anhydrous salt (r.d. 1.52; m.p. 324°C) or the trihydrate (r.d. 1.45; loses water at 58°C). Both forms are soluble in water and in ethoxyethane, and slightly soluble in ethanol. The compound may be prepared by the reaction of ethanoic acid (acetic acid) with sodium carbonate or with sodium hydroxide. Because it is a salt of a strong base and a weak acid, sodium ethanoate is used in buffers for pH control in many laboratory applications, in foodstuffs, and in electroplating. It is also used in dyeing, soaps, pharmaceuticals, and in photography.