HCL + CO3 (2-) ---> CO2. Why?

[Dharma]

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so this one probably has a very simple explanation but i'm a bit pooped out, so maybe you can help me.

Why is carbon dioxide a product of this reaction and what are the other products besides CO2?

 

[PiBond]

so this one probably has a very simple explanation but i'm a bit pooped out, so maybe you can help me.

Why is carbon dioxide a product of this reaction and what are the other products besides CO2?

H20 should be a product as well

if we balance the equation we should find two H+ floating around, and thus we'll end up getting H2CO3 (carbonic acid) which dissociates to CO2 and H20

 

[Dharma]

H20 should be a product as well

if we balance the equation we should find two H+ floating around, and thus we'll end up getting H2CO3 (carbonic acid) which dissociates to CO2 and H20

I thought that the carbonic acid would form. How does it dissociate into CO2? I'm assuming 2 protons "attack" one of those O with an extra e-, resulting in water. yes? no?

 

[PiBond]

I thought that the carbonic acid would form. How does it dissociate into CO2? I'm assuming 2 protons "attack" one of those O with an extra e-, resulting in water. yes? no?

carbonic acid does form, but we show the reaction going to completion resulting in its dissociation into CO2 and H20

2 HCl + CO3(-2) --> H2CO3 <--> CO2(g) + H20(l) + 2Cl-

carbonate is a moderately strong base so it's going to abstract the protons from HCl and form H2CO3 (that's about all you need to know for the mechanism) which is in equilibrium with H20 and CO2.

we can also write it as:

2 HCl + CO3(-2) --> CO2(g) + H20(l) + 2Cl-

does that help?

 

[loveoforganic]

Carbonic acid is just unstable. It automatically degrades into H2O and CO2, which are just the lewis acid (CO2) and attacking base (H2O) forms of carbonic acid.

 

[Dharma]

Pi and dude who loves organic... thanks. Good tutoring. Mission accomplished. Much obliged.

 

[bdc142]

Reviving this old thread.

Can anyone explain why

H2CO3 --> H20 + CO2
instead of
H2CO3 --> H + HCO3?

Is it because it's a strong acid HCl being added and nothing could ever accept the H+ from H2CO3?

 

[Nezeru]

That's certainly one reason you could expect this reaction to proceed to completion for the most part. In general there is an equilibrium established between H2CO3, HCO3 and H+ , and CO2 + H2O. This equilibrium is important for the maintenance of blood pH as well and understanding the relationship between pulmonary ventilation and blood pH. The reaction hasn't proceeded to completion at the step you isolated (H2CO3 -> H+ and HCO3+) although this step does exist and forms part of the equilibrium equation.

Hope this helps somewhat.

 

[E pur si muove]

carbonic acid does form, but we show the reaction going to completion resulting in its dissociation into CO2 and H20

2 HCl + CO3(-2) --> H2CO3 <--> CO2(g) + H20(l) + 2Cl-

carbonate is a moderately strong base so it's going to abstract the protons from HCl and form H2CO3 (that's about all you need to know for the mechanism) which is in equilibrium with H20 and CO2.

we can also write it as:

2 HCl + CO3(-2) --> CO2(g) + H20(l) + 2Cl-

does that help?

 

[Teleologist]

Nucleophile attacks electrophile. Oxygen attacks hydrogen and forms bicarb ion. This can continue until "carbonic acid" is formed.