Information About

Bicarbonate




In of Carbonic Acid .


CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

The bicarbonate ion is a Polyatomic Anion with the Empirical Formula H C O 3 and a molecular mass of 61.02 Daltons ; it consists of one central carbon Atom surrounded by three identical oxygen atoms in a Trigonal Planar arrangement, with a hydrogen atom attached to one of the oxygens. The bicarbonate ion carries a negative one Formal Charge and is the Conjugate Base of carbonic acid, H2CO3; it is the conjugate acid of CO32−, the Carbonate ion.

A bicarbonate salt forms when a positively charged ion attaches to the negatively charged oxygen atoms of the ion, forming an ionic Compound . Many bicarbonates are Soluble in Water at Standard Temperature And Pressure .


USES

The most common salt of the bicarbonate ion is Sodium Bicarbonate , NaHCO3, which is used as Baking Soda . When exposed to an Acid such as Acetic Acid ( Vinegar ), bicarbonates release Carbon Dioxide . This is used to cause Bread to rise in Baking and to propel toy Rockets .

The bicarbonate/carbonate ionic system is also a Buffer in Blood .

This chemical is also found in the blood. It is a crucial component of the acid/base system of the body (maintaining homeostasis). 86%-90% of CO2 in the body is converted into H2CO3 which also can turn into its basic form HCO3, a polyprotic acid.

Occasionally bicarbonates are referred to as acid carbonates.


SEE ALSO