`CO_(2)` gas is much more soluble in aqueous NaOH solution than in water. Justify.

Explanation

To justify why CO₂ gas is much more soluble in aqueous NaOH solution than in water, we can break down the explanation into several steps:

### Step 1: Understanding the Dissolution of CO₂ in Water
When carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas dissolves in water (H₂O), it reacts to form carbonic acid (H₂CO₃):
\[ \text{CO}_2(g) + \text{H}_2O(l) \rightleftharpoons \text{H}_2CO_3(aq) \]
This reaction is reversible, meaning that carbonic acid can decompose back into carbon dioxide and water:
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