What is Bicarbonate?
[[File:SodiumBicarbonate.svg|thumb|The bicarbonate anion is formed with a carbon double-bonded to an oxygen, single-bonded to a hydroxide group, which here is neutral, and single-bonded to another oxygen which requires one more electron to complete its outer shell. Here, the sodium cation provides the electron, resulting in a net -1 charge.]] '''Bicarbonate''' is an anion (a negatively-charged [[ion]]). Its chemical formula is {{chem2|HCO3-}}. A sample compound is [[sodium bicarbonate]]. == Properties == Bicarbonate is [[amphoteric]]: it is both an acid and a base. As an acid, it reacts with bases to make [[carbonate]], and as a base, it reacts with acids to make [[carbonic acid]], which usually [[disproportionation|disporportionate]]s to [[water]] and [[carbon dioxide]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry|page=370|isbn=9781285607191 |last1=Skoog |first1=Douglas A. |last2=West |first2=Donald M. |last3=James Holler |first3=F. |last4=Crouch |first4=Stanley R. |date=January 2013 |publisher=Cengage Learning }}</ref> When heated, it will react with itself as both acid and base: {{chem2|2 NaHCO3 -> Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2}} == References == {{reflist}} ==Related pages== *[[Carbon]] *[[Oxygen]] *[[Carbonate]] == Bicarbonate compounds == * [[Sodium bicarbonate]] * Potassium bicarbonate * Calcium bicarbonate * Ammonium bicarbonate * Carbonic acid {{chem-stub}} [[Category:Ions]]