carbonate

views updated Jun 08 2018

car·bo·nate • n. / ˈkärbənət; -ˌnāt/ a salt of the anion CO32−, typically formed by reaction of carbon dioxide with bases.• v. / ˈkärbəˌnāt/ [tr.] [usu. as adj.] (carbonated) dissolve carbon dioxide in (a liquid): a carbonated soft drink. ∎ Chem. convert into a carbonate, typically by reaction with carbon dioxide.DERIVATIVES: car·bo·na·tion / ˌkärbəˈnāshən/ n.

carbonate

views updated May 17 2018

carbonate Salt of carbonic acid, formed when carbon dioxide (CO2) dissolves in water. Carbonic acid is an extremely weak acid and both it and many of its salts are unstable, decomposing readily to release CO2. Nevertheless, large parts of the Earth's crust are made up of carbonates, such as calcium carbonate and dolomite.