Bicarbonate

Bicarbonate is an anion (a negatively-charged ion). Its chemical formula is HCO₃⁻. It reacts with acids to produce carbon dioxide. A sample compound is sodium bicarbonate. It forms carbonate when heated.

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.

Related pages

• Carbon
• Oxygen
• Carbonate

Bicarbonate compounds

• Sodium bicarbonate
• Potassium bicarbonate
• Calcium bicarbonate
• Ammonium bicarbonate
• Carbonic acid