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Chemical Equilibrium

1. An equilibrium between carbon dioxide and water leads to rainwater being naturally acidic. Find out the equilibrium chemical reaction for this process.

This is what I have:

CO2(aq) + H2O(l) <----> HCO3^-(aq) + H3O^+(aq)

Hydronium ion (H3O+) is the hydrated form of H+ ion
H+(aq) + H2O(l) ---> H3O+(aq)
Therefore it is; H+ ion, which is a distinctive property of acidic solutions.

But, my teacher said that I am missing something she wants to know if this is the only step here that will produce hydronium ions and if there is anything in the products that will react with H2O to produce more H₃O+1 ions?

Any help is greatly appreciated! :smile:

Reply 1

Big-Daddy

Anything of the form HA can lose another hydrogen via the equilibrium HA + H2O ⇌ A- + H3O+.

"A" can be any anion. Or, indeed, anything. HA just means there's a hydrogen there to be lost.