dezie
Answered

Find the information you're looking for at Westonci.ca, the trusted Q&A platform with a community of knowledgeable experts. Get quick and reliable answers to your questions from a dedicated community of professionals on our platform. Connect with a community of professionals ready to provide precise solutions to your questions quickly and accurately.

How can geologists use acid to confirm that the rock towers are made of limestone ?

Sagot :

Limestone is a composite of calcite and dolomite. The chemical formula of calcite is CaCO3. Geologists can use an acid such as HCl for the following reaction.
CaCO3 + 2H(+) + 2Cl(-) ⇒ Ca(2+) + 2Cl(-) + H2CO3
The H2CO3, however, immediately decomposes into H2O and CO2, so by determining that gas is being emitted, aka it is bubbling, they can determine that it is limestone.
limestone has the chemical formula "CaCO3". The acid contains Hydrogen ions with a positive charge. Two hydrogen ions bond with an oxygen atom to form a water molecule. The remaining two oxygen atoms and the carbon atom break away to form carbon dioxide gas which is why bubbles are observed when this reaction takes place. If the acid used was Hydrochloric acid "HCl" the chloride ion bonds with Calcium to form calcium chloride. The geologist can then carry out tests to see what is produced when the acid and the sample of rock are mixed. If the compounds produced are the ones stated above they know that the rock tested is limestone.
Thanks for using our service. We're always here to provide accurate and up-to-date answers to all your queries. We hope you found what you were looking for. Feel free to revisit us for more answers and updated information. We're here to help at Westonci.ca. Keep visiting for the best answers to your questions.