Carbonic acid, H₂CO₃, undergoes the following acid base equilibria: H₂CO₃,⇌H⁺(aq) + HCO₃⁻(aq) ⇌ H⁺(aq) + CO₃²⁻(aq). The pKa values for the first and second steps are 3.6 and 6.3, respectively. The pH of human blood is 7.37 and this is tightly regulated. Which of the following statements most accurately describes the concentrations of the different species in the above reaction. A) [H₂CO₃(aq)] is much larger than the other species B) [H₂CO₃(aq)] and [HCO₃⁻(aq)] are much larger than the other species C) [HCO₃⁻(aq)] and [CO₃²⁻(aq)] are much larger than the other species D) [CO₃²⁻(aq)] is much larger than the other species

Biochemistry
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Chapter1: Biochemistry: An Evolving Science
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Carbonic acid, H₂CO₃, undergoes the following acid base equilibria: H₂CO₃,⇌H⁺(aq) + HCO₃⁻(aq) ⇌ H⁺(aq) + CO₃²⁻(aq). The pKa values for the first and second steps are 3.6 and 6.3, respectively. The pH of human blood is 7.37 and this is tightly regulated. Which of the following statements most accurately describes the concentrations of the different species in the above reaction.
A) [H₂CO₃(aq)] is much larger than the other species
B) [H₂CO₃(aq)] and [HCO₃⁻(aq)] are much larger than the other species
C) [HCO₃⁻(aq)] and [CO₃²⁻(aq)] are much larger than the other species
D) [CO₃²⁻(aq)] is much larger than the other species
 
 
 
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