How well known is the formula of carbonic acid? [closed]








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My chemistry teacher in high school didn't know the formula for carbonic acid, which struck me as something someone with a degree in chemistry (as they allegedly do) should know instantly, or at least after some time thinking. However, to give them the benefit of the doubt - is carbonic acid a relativly common chemical, or alternatively is there a well known way to derive its formula from the name (like how you can work out the formula for a molecule called something somethingelseide for instance)? Should someone with a degree in chemistry know it off the top of their head?




Carbonic acid has the formula $\ce{H2CO3}$ - you can't always immediately derive the formula from the (trivial) name - you have to learn it. And - yes - carbonic acid is a relatively common chemical : you can find it in all types of fizzy drinks (fanta, cola,sprite,....)


However, you can derive the formula from the other name (systematic) of carbonic acid, dihydrogen carbonate = $\ce{H2CO3}$.


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If there is open water and air, there is carbonic acid; carbonated beveradges including beer and champagne; and you are filled with it from aerobic respiration. pH vs. pKa determines ionization. (The leading lowercase "p" means "negative logarithm of.")


Naming simple acids: The root is the element- bor(on), car(bon), nitr(ogen), sulfur, chlor(ine) phosphor(us). Suffix shows oxidation state, ous/ite (low) and ic/ate high. Prefix intensifies suffix.


Hydrochloric, Cl(-1) ("hydro" in context means "no oxygen") chlorides   

Hypochlorous, Cl(+1) hypochlorites   

chlorous, Cl(+3) chlorites   

chloric, Cl(+3) chlorates   

perchloric, Cl(+5) perchlorates 


Simple names become not simple when complex structures form from concatination (peroxysulfuric acid,polyphosphoric acid), element substitution (thiosulfuric acid), substituents (methanesulfonic acid, chlorosulfonic acid), and general diddling around (adenosine triphosphate).


<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxyanion>


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