noun / adjective
carbonate
KAR-buh-nut/ˈkɑːrbənət/
A salt or ester of carbonic acid.
The sample contains a white deposit of calcium carbonate.
Etymology
The coal word supplied the name of the element carbon; carbonate then named a salt of carbonic acid. That acid-based naming connects the word to compounds containing the carbonate ion.
In context
see are stalactites that's clue number one stalactites are formed by dripping water over thousands of years the drip of water dries up and leaves behind tiny crystals of calcium carbonate
More examples
- The chemist identifies the unknown carbonate.
- Limestone is rich in carbonate minerals.
- The experiment compares several carbonates.
Forms
carbonate · carbonates
Similar words
- bicarbonate
- Contains hydrogen carbonate ions rather than carbonate ions.
- salt
- A broader chemical category that includes many carbonates.