why lime water and not potassium hydroxide is used to test for carbon (iv) oxide

1 answer

Lime water is used to test for carbon (IV) oxide because it reacts with carbon dioxide to form calcium carbonate, which is a white precipitate. This reaction is easily visible and indicates the presence of carbon dioxide.

Potassium hydroxide, on the other hand, does not react with carbon dioxide to produce a visible precipitate. It simply dissolves and forms a colorless solution. Therefore, potassium hydroxide is not suitable for testing the presence of carbon (IV) oxide.