Rate of Decomposition of Calcium Carbonate
Rate of Decomposition of Calcium Carbonate
Theory
Calcium carbonate, CaCO3,is one of the most abundant minerals on the Earth. More than 4% of the Earth’s crust is composed of calcium carbonate. It is a major component in limestone, marble, seashells, bedrock, etc. Limestone and marble have been among the most widely used building materials for more than 5 000 years, from the pyramids in Egypt to the Parthenon in Greece and the Taj Mahal in India. In many places, limestone is also the foundation of our Earth—literally, since it is forms both bedrock and mountain ranges. Calcium carbonate dissolves in water to only a limited extent, but its solubility is greatly enhanced when the water is acidic. The gradual dissolution of marble and limestone, as well as coral and seashells, in acids is due to acid− base neutralization. The products of the neutralization reaction between calcium carbonate and hydrochloric acid, for example, are calcium chloride and carbonic acid, or H2CO3.
Carbonic acid is unstable, decomposing to give carbon dioxide gas and water.
CaCO3(s) + 2HCl (aq) → CaCl2 (aq) + H2CO3(aq)
H2CO3 (aq) →CO2 (g) + H2O (l)
The rate of the overall reaction and, in particular, its dependence on the concentration of HCl, is an important concern in environmental chemistry due to the combined effects of acid rain and ocean acidification.
CaCO3(aq) + 2HCl(aq) → CaCl2(aq)+CO2(g) + H2O(l)
Kinetics is the study of the rates of chemical reactions. As reactants are transformed into products in a chemical reaction, the amount of reactants will decrease and the amount of products will increase. The rate of the reaction can be determined by measuring the amounts or concentrations of reactants or products as a function of time. In some cases, it is possible to use a simple visual clue to determine a reaction rate. Some of the “clues” that may be followed to measure a reaction rate include appearance or disappearance of a colour, amount of precipitate that forms, or
Theory
Calcium carbonate, CaCO3,is one of the most abundant minerals on the Earth. More than 4% of the Earth’s crust is composed of calcium carbonate. It is a major component in limestone, marble, seashells, bedrock, etc. Limestone and marble have been among the most widely used building materials for more than 5 000 years, from the pyramids in Egypt to the Parthenon in Greece and the Taj Mahal in India. In many places, limestone is also the foundation of our Earth—literally, since it is forms both bedrock and mountain ranges. Calcium carbonate dissolves in water to only a limited extent, but its solubility is greatly enhanced when the water is acidic. The gradual dissolution of marble and limestone, as well as coral and seashells, in acids is due to acid− base neutralization. The products of the neutralization reaction between calcium carbonate and hydrochloric acid, for example, are calcium chloride and carbonic acid, or H2CO3.
Carbonic acid is unstable, decomposing to give carbon dioxide gas and water.
CaCO3(s) + 2HCl (aq) → CaCl2 (aq) + H2CO3(aq)
H2CO3 (aq) →CO2 (g) + H2O (l)
The rate of the overall reaction and, in particular, its dependence on the concentration of HCl, is an important concern in environmental chemistry due to the combined effects of acid rain and ocean acidification.
CaCO3(aq) + 2HCl(aq) → CaCl2(aq)+CO2(g) + H2O(l)
Kinetics is the study of the rates of chemical reactions. As reactants are transformed into products in a chemical reaction, the amount of reactants will decrease and the amount of products will increase. The rate of the reaction can be determined by measuring the amounts or concentrations of reactants or products as a function of time. In some cases, it is possible to use a simple visual clue to determine a reaction rate. Some of the “clues” that may be followed to measure a reaction rate include appearance or disappearance of a colour, amount of precipitate that forms, or