This research models the corrosion reactions of a high-strength steel in an aerated, dilute, carbonate solution during a single-cycle voltammetry. Based on a previous study (Eliyan et al. in J Mater Eng Perform 24(6):1-8, 2015) and a literature survey, the corrosion reactions of the cathodic reduction, anodic dissolution, and passivation, as well as the interfacial interactions and the chemistry of the corrosion products are illustrated in schematics. The paper provides a visual guide on the corrosion reactions for steel in carbonate solutions based on the available mechanistic details that were reported and are still being investigated in literature.