Can someone please help me with this question....

When you blow bubbles into a glass of water, the following reactions take place:

H2O + CO2 --a--> H2CO3 --b--> H+ + HCO3-

1. What type of reaction is a?
2. What does reaction b tell you about the type of molecule H2CO3 is?

Thanks in advance for the help ;-)

To determine the type of reaction indicated by (a) in the given chemical equations, we need to analyze the reactants and products involved.

1. Type of reaction indicated by (a):
The reaction (a) represents the process of carbon dioxide (CO2) dissolving in water (H2O) to form carbonic acid (H2CO3). This is known as a chemical reaction, specifically a dissolution or dissolution reaction. It is also classified as an acid-base reaction, as water acts as a base by accepting a proton (H+) from carbon dioxide.

2. Implication of reaction (b) on the molecule H2CO3:
The reaction (b) indicates that carbonic acid (H2CO3) can dissociate or ionize in water to produce a hydrogen ion (H+) and a bicarbonate ion (HCO3-). This suggests that H2CO3 is an acidic molecule that can release protons or act as a weak acid in a water medium.

To summarize:
1. Reaction (a) is a dissolution reaction or an acid-base reaction.
2. Reaction (b) suggests that H2CO3 is an acidic molecule capable of producing H+ and HCO3- ions when dissolved in water.