Acid+ metal carbonate

August 9, 2026Chemistry

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Answer

When an acid reacts with a metal carbonate, the products are a salt, water, and carbon dioxide gas.

3 steps

Identify the general reactants.
Acid + Metal Carbonate
Determine the general products.
The acid donates $\text{H}^+$ ions, and the carbonate ion ( $\text{CO}_3^{2-}$ ) reacts to form water ( $\text{H}_2\text{O}$ ) and carbon dioxide ( $\text{CO}_2$ ). The metal cation from the carbonate combines with the anion from the acid to form a salt.
Write the general reaction.
$\text{Acid} + \text{Metal Carbonate} \rightarrow \text{Salt} + \text{Water} + \text{Carbon Dioxide}$
For example, if hydrochloric acid ( $\text{HCl}$ ) reacts with calcium carbonate ( $\text{CaCO}_3$ ):
$2\text{HCl} (\text{aq}) + \text{CaCO}_3 (\text{s}) \rightarrow \text{CaCl}_2 (\text{aq}) + \text{H}_2\text{O} (\text{l}) + \text{CO}_2 (\text{g})$