Question

Name a compound that produces carbon dioxide on heating.

Answer 1

Any hydrocarbon on complete combustion gives carbon dioxide and water. Carbonic acid being a weak acid, there are different salts of the carbonic acid, called the carbonates that release carbonate on heating.

Complete step by step solution:
Any metal carbonate would decompose on heating to evolve carbon dioxide gas. When the metal carbonates and bicarbonates are heated then they form the respective metal oxide and the carbon dioxide gas is liberated. The stability of the carbonate salts can be related to their position in the activity series, the higher a metal is in the activity series, the more reactive the metal will be and hence the more stable the carbonate will be. So going by the statement, copper carbonate had more chances of decomposition on heating to liberate carbon dioxide gas than sodium carbonate which requires a much higher temperature to decompose than copper carbonate.

Notes: The stability of the metal carbonates can be measured by heating the carbonate and bubbling the carbon dioxide given off through limewater. The quicker the lime-water becomes milky the more will be the rate of disintegration of the substance. Bicarbonates of hydrogen carbonates is an intermediate form of the decomposition of the carbonic acid. It serves a crucial biochemical role in the physiological pH buffering system. $70\% {\text{ to }}80\%$ of the carbon dioxide in the body is converted to carbonic acid which is the conjugate acid of the bicarbonate anion and can quickly turn to it.