Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
carbonate
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Videos
Discover how calcium and carbonate dissolved in seawater serve as the building material for seashell construction
Discover
Battle of Puebla. Cinco de Mayo. General Porfirio Diaz leads Mexican cavalry to victory against the French lead by General Charles Lorencez at Puebla, Mexico April 2, 1867. Oil on canvas, 1902. May 5, 1862. General Ignacio Zaragoza
Cinco de Mayo
Aphrodite. Greek mythology. Sculpture. Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.
12 Greek Gods and Goddesses
Computer mapping, woman at early 1990s computer
Timeline of the 1990s
Portrait of Marie Antoinette by Jean-Francois Janinet, 1777. Color etching and engraving with gold leaf printed on two sheets, 30x13.5 in.
Did Marie-Antoinette Really Say “Let Them Eat Cake”?
Hindenburg zeppelin crashing, 1937
The Hindenburg, Before and After Disaster
Alpaca and Llama side by side
What’s the Difference Between Llamas and Alpacas?
Baseball laying in the grass. Homepage blog 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society, sports and games athletics
10 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time

carbonate

chemical compound
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: • Article History

carbonate, any member of two classes of chemical compounds derived from carbonic acid or carbon dioxide (q.v.). The inorganic carbonates are salts of carbonic acid (H2CO3), containing the carbonate ion, CO2/3-, and ions of metals such as sodium or calcium. Inorganic carbonates comprise many minerals (see carbonate mineral) and are the principal constituents of limestones and dolomites; they also comprise the hard parts of many marine invertebrates. Organic carbonates are esters; that is, compounds in which the hydrogen atoms of carbonic acid have been replaced by carbon-containing combining groups such as ethyl, C2H5.

OSZAR »