When carbon dioxide dissolves in water it exists inchemical equilibriumproducing carbonic acid:CO2+ H2OH2CO3
In the absence of acatalyst, the equilibrium is reached quite slowly. The rate constant are 0.039 L/mol-1*s-1for the forward reaction (CO2 + H2O ? H2CO3) and 23 s-1for the reverse reaction (H2CO3 ? CO2 + H2O). What is the order of the reverse reaction?