What products are obtained from the reaction of an acid with a carbonate?

When an acid reacts with a carbonate, the products of the reaction are salt, water, and carbon dioxide. This is a classic acid-carbonate reaction.

In this reaction, the acid provides hydrogen ions (H+) which react with the carbonate ions (CO3^2-) from the carbonate. The hydrogen ions and carbonate ions combine to produce carbon dioxide gas (CO2), which may be observed as bubbles during the reaction. Additionally, the remaining components from the acid and carbonate form a salt and water. For example, if hydrochloric acid (HCl) reacts with sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), the products would be sodium chloride (the salt), water, and carbon dioxide.

This reaction can be summarized by the general equation:

Acid + Carbonate → Salt + Water + Carbon Dioxide.

Therefore, the answer identifying salt, water, and carbon dioxide as the products recognizes the fundamental chemistry at work in acid-carbonate reactions, making it the correct choice. Other options suggest the production of hydrogen or sugar, which do not occur in this type of reaction.