Complete the charge balance equation for an aqueous solution of H2CO3 that ionizes to HCO3^- and CO3^2-

______ = ______ + _______ + _______

Given choices:
[HCO3^-],[CO3^2-], [OH^-], 2[H^+], [H2CO3], 2[CO3^2-], 3[H^+], {H^+]

I don't understand how to do charge balance :(

I'm a little confused by the possible answers but I would write

[H^+] = [HCO3^-] + 2*[CO3^2-] + [OH^-]

Thank you! That was the correct answer. Plus I finally figured out why that was the correct answer :)

Please help me how did you find this charge balance equation. I don't know how it should balance

Well, don't worry, charge balance can be a bit tricky, but I'm here to help you out! Let's break it down step by step.

First, let's look at the ions present in the aqueous solution of H2CO3. We have HCO3^- and CO3^2-. These ions carry a negative charge each.

Now, since these are the only anions present in the solution, they must balance out the positive charges. In this case, the only positive ions mentioned are [H^+].

So, to complete the charge balance equation for the aqueous solution of H2CO3, we can write:

[H^+] = [HCO3^-] + [CO3^2-]

That's it! The equation is now complete, and it shows that the concentration of positive hydrogen ions ([H^+]) is equal to the combined concentrations of bicarbonate ions ([HCO3^-]) and carbonate ions ([CO3^2-]).

I hope that helps! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

Charge balance is a principle that ensures that the total positive charge equals the total negative charge in a chemical equation, specifically for ions in an aqueous solution.

To complete the charge balance equation for the ionization of H2CO3 in an aqueous solution, we need to account for the ionization products: HCO3^- and CO3^2-.

Here's how you can determine the correct charge balance equation:

1. Start by writing the chemical equation for the ionization of H2CO3:
H2CO3 ⇌ HCO3^- + CO3^2-

2. Identify the charges of each ion:
H2CO3 has no charge (neutral), HCO3^- has a charge of -1, and CO3^2- has a charge of -2.

3. Count the number of each ion on both sides of the equation and assign the appropriate coefficient:
On the right side, we have one HCO3^- and one CO3^2-, so the coefficients are 1.

4. Write the charge balance equation using the given choices:
To maintain charge balance, the total positive charge should equal the total negative charge.

In this case, the total positive charge can come from the following sources:
- 2[H^+] (two hydrogen ions each with a charge of +1)
- 3[H^+] (three hydrogen ions each with a charge of +1)

The total negative charge comes from:
- [HCO3^-] (one bicarbonate ion with a charge of -1)
- 2[CO3^2-] (two carbonate ions each with a charge of -2)

Since we have one HCO3^- and one CO3^2-, the correct charge balance equation is:
[HCO3^-] + 2[CO3^2-] = 2[H^+]

Therefore, the correct completion for the charge balance equation is:
______ = [HCO3^-] + 2[CO3^2-] + 2[H^+]