Question

I am curious why a discrete covalent molecular substance, say CO2, would react with water to form an acid, what happens in such a reaction? I'm assuming it has something to do with disassociated ions in the water but why would CO2 want to bond?

Answer 1

CO2 reacts with water to form carbonic acid, which is a weak acid that dissociates into bicarbonate and hydrogen ions. This is due to water's polar nature, allowing interaction with CO2 and facilitating proton transfer to form carbonic acid.

Step-by-step explanation:

When CO2 reacts with water (H2O), it forms carbonic acid (H2CO3), which is a weak acid that can further dissociate into bicarbonate (HCO3-) and hydrogen ions (H+).

This reaction occurs because water is a polar molecule with partial positive charges on the hydrogen atoms and a partial negative charge on the oxygen atom. The polar nature of water molecules allows them to interact with the CO2 molecules, facilitating the formation of carbonic acid through a process that involves the transfer of protons.

The dissolved carbon dioxide in water creates an acidic solution as it forms carbonic acid, H2CO3, which can dissociate to produce hydronium ions (H3O+), bicarbonate ions (HCO3-), and carbonate ions (CO32-). This acid-base chemistry is important in many biological and geological processes, such as respiration and the weathering of rock.