carbonic acid gas
- noun
- /ˌkɑːrˈbɒnɪk ˈæsɪd ɡæs/
- Archaic
- Plants absorb carbonic acid gas during photosynthesis.
Examples
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The scientist demonstrated that carbonic acid gas is exhaled during human respiration.
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In early experiments, Joseph Priestley studied the properties of carbonic acid gas.
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Plants remove carbonic acid gas from the atmosphere during photosynthesis.
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The atmosphere contains carbonic acid gas that is essential for life.
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Plants remove carbonic acid gas from the atmosphere during photosynthesis.
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The scientist demonstrated that carbonic acid gas is exhaled during human respiration.
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In early experiments, Joseph Priestley studied the properties of carbonic acid gas.
Synonyms
A colorless gas people breathe out and plants use to make food
A colorless gas without smell that people and cars make and plants use to make oxygen
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'carbonic' + 'acid' + 'gas' clearly indicate a gaseous substance related to carbonic acid, so a learner who knows the constituent meanings can infer it denotes a carbon-related gas. However, identifying it specifically as the older term for carbon dioxide and recognizing the technical/archaic usage requires chemistry knowledge and is not fully predictable from everyday usage, making it only partially transparent.
Etymology
Carbonic acid gas: The name carbonic acid gas comes from an old chemistry idea: the word carbonic links it to carbon, and the gas mixes with water to make a weak acid, like the fizz in fizzy drinks. That's why the old name refers to what we now call 'carbon dioxide', the gas we breathe out and that plants use.