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Metal carbonates such as calcium carbonate (chalk) react with acids to produce the gas, carbon dioxide. This can be seen in the equation:

 

Metal carbonate + Acid Salt + Water + Carbon dioxide

 

The carbon dioxide produced can be tested for in the lab using limewater, which reacts with the carbon dioxide gas. When the limewater reacts with carbon dioxide gas it turns from colourless to milky white in colour.

 

NB: bear in mind that the limewater isn't actually blue! It's colourless.

 

The salt produced depends on the acid that's used to produce it. The table below shows the type of salts that are produced from these acids:

 

Acid Name Type of Salt Formulae
Hydrochloric Acid Chloride HCl
Sulfuric Acid Sulfate H2SO4
Nitric Acid Nitrate HNO3

 

The name of the salts produced is better illustrated in an equation:

 

Hydrochloric Acid

 

Magnesium carbonate + Hydrochloric acid Magnesium chloride + Water + Carbon dioxide

MgCO3+ 2HClMgCl2 + H2O + CO2

 

Sulfuric Acid

 

Calcium carbonate + Sulfuric acid Calcium sulfate + Water + Carbon dioxide

CaCO3+ H2SO4CaSO4 + H2O + CO2

 

Nitric Acid

 

Sodium carbonate + Nitric acid Sodium nitrate + Water + Carbon dioxide

Na2CO3+ 2HNO32NaNO3 + H2O + CO2

 

Hopefully, that makes it a bit clearer!

 

woman thinking

 

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