How do we represent the reaction of hydrochloric acid with stoichiometric calcium carbonate? Do we need to consider oxidation states?

1 Answer
May 27, 2017

This is an acid-base reaction, in which no redox transfer occurs........

Explanation:

We can write out the stoichiometric equation:

CaCO3(s)+2HCl(aq)CaCl2(aq)+CO2(g)+H2O(l)

And the net ionic equation:

CO23+2H3O+CO2(g)+3H2O(l)

And we can include oxidation numbers on reactants and products:

+IVCO23+2H3O++IVCO2(g)⏐ ⏐+3H2O(l)

Are these equations balanced with respect to mass and charge? They need to be if we purport to represent chemical reality!

The oxidation numbers of hydrogen and carbon remain at IIO and +IH respectively.