Write the balanced chemical reaction for \(\mathrm{CO}_{3}{ }^{2-}\), as a base, with water.

In chemistry, a base is a substance that can accept hydrogen ions (protons) from an acid in an acid-base reaction. Carbonate, with the chemical formula \( \mathrm{CO}_{3}^{2-} \), is a common polyatomic ion that acts as a base. When dissolved in water, carbonate can accept a proton from water (\(H_2O\)), which is slightly acidic in nature, leading to the formation of bicarbonate (\(HCO_3^-\)) and hydroxide ion (\(OH^-\)). This reaction is fundamental in understanding how bases neutralize acids and are involved in maintaining the pH balance in natural systems. Through such reactions, carbonates can moderate the acidity of rainwater and maintain the alkalinity of blood and ocean water.

Acid-base reactions are a type of chemical reaction that occurs when an acid donates a proton (hydrogen ion) to a base. In aqueous solutions, these reactions are essential for understanding many natural and industrial processes. When \( \mathrm{CO}_{3}^{2-} \) functions as a base in water, it accepts a hydrogen ion from a water molecule, which acts as the acid in this exchange. The reaction produces bicarbonate (\(HCO_3^-\)) and a hydroxide ion (\(OH^-\)), indicative of a typical acid-base reaction. According to the Brønsted-Lowry theory, acids are proton donors and bases are proton acceptors, which helps classify substances based on their chemical behavior in such reactions.

A chemical equation is a symbolic representation of a chemical reaction. It depicts the reactants—substances before the reaction—and the products—substances generated by the reaction. In the case of the carbonate reaction with water, \( \mathrm{CO}_{3}^{2-} \) the base, and water (\(H_2O\)), as the acid, are the reactants. The arrow in the equation signifies the direction of the reaction towards the production of bicarbonate (\(HCO_3^-\)) and hydroxide ion (\(OH^-\)), the products. It is vital to balance chemical equations so that the law of conservation of mass is satisfied, meaning that the number of atoms of each element remains constant, reflecting the principle that matter is neither created nor destroyed in chemical reactions.

Stoichiometry is the quantitative relationship between the reactants and products in a chemical reaction. It allows chemists to predict the amounts of substances consumed and produced during reactions. In the balanced chemical equation for the reaction of carbonate and water—\[ \mathrm{CO}_{3}^{2-} + H_2O \rightarrow HCO_3^- + OH^- \]—stoichiometry can be used to determine the ratios in which the reactants combine and the products form. With the stoichiometry of the reaction understood, one can calculate how much carbonate is needed to neutralize a given amount of acid, or conversely, how much acid is required to neutralize a known quantity of carbonate in various practical applications like water treatment or ocean chemistry.