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Metal Carbonate - GCSE Chemistry Definition

Reviewed by: Richard Boole

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A metal carbonate is a chemical compound made of a metal ion and carbonate ions (CO32-). These compounds are usually solids and often occur naturally in rocks.

When a metal carbonate reacts with an acid, it produces a salt, water, and carbon dioxide gas:

metal carbonate + acid → salt + water + carbon dioxide

This reaction is often observed by fizzing or bubbling, due to the release of carbon dioxide.

Common examples include:

  • Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) – found in limestone, chalk, and marble

  • Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) – used in washing soda

Understanding metal carbonates is important in GCSE Chemistry for studying acid–carbonate reactions, gas tests, and changes during chemical reactions.

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Richard Boole

Reviewer: Richard Boole

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Richard has taught Chemistry for over 15 years as well as working as a science tutor, examiner, content creator and author. He wasn’t the greatest at exams and only discovered how to revise in his final year at university. That knowledge made him want to help students learn how to revise, challenge them to think about what they actually know and hopefully succeed; so here he is, happily, at SME.

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