[cliverlong]

OK so Potassium Carbonate + Citric acid --> Potassium Citrate + CO2 + Water
but thats not really what i care about, I am more interested as to how to determine the formula or Potassium Citrate
K2CO3 + C6H8O7 --> + CO2 + H2O

OK,

so go back to the structural formula again, not that C₆H₈O₇ rubbish

subscripts, subscripts my lad

Now, as you write: acid reacts with carbonates.

But what exactly in an acid makes it an acid and is the "reactive bit"?

As I wrote before, how does hydrochloric acid reacts with potassium carbonate? Write the balanced equation. What's really the important bit here as far as the reaction is concerned?

Now do the same for sulphuric acid.  how does sulphuric acid reacts with potassium carbonate? Write the balanced equation. Are there a variety of possible reactions and products using sulphuric acid? Why?

Now tackle citric acid applying the same idea. Are there a variety of possible reactions and products using aqueous citirc acid? Why?


Clive

[jsmith613]

Now, as you write: acid reacts with carbonates.

But what exactly in an acid makes it an acid and is the "reactive bit"?

and acid is defined as something which DONATES H+ protons into solution. So basically it is the slightly ionized Hydrogen Proton which makes it an acid

As I wrote before, how does hydrochloric acid reacts with potassium carbonate? Write the balanced equation. What's really the important bit here as far as the reaction is concerned?

2HCl + K2CO3 --> 2KCl + CO2 + H2O. I suppose the really important bit is the K2 replaces the H in HCl to give KCl and the H2CO3 dissociates into CO2 + H2O as it is unstable

Now do the same for sulphuric acid.  how does sulphuric acid reacts with potassium carbonate? Write the balanced equation. Are there a variety of possible reactions and products using sulphuric acid? Why?

H2SO4 + K2CO3 --> K2SO4 + H2O + CO2 (balanced)

Concerning the later part of the question I dont have a clue. Sorry 

Now tackle citric acid applying the same idea. Are there a variety of possible reactions and products using aqueous citirc acid? Why?

the problem with this is, the strucural formula is SO long it is pretty impossible for me to identify the products using the reactivity series - displacmement method i was using for the others.