Limestone - all you need to know

Limestone is mainly calcium carbonate , CaCO3, when it is heated strongly it decomposes into calcium oxide and carbon dioxide, this can be done on a large scale by heating the limestone in a kiln (this process is called thermal decomposition).

Limestone has many uses, including making concrete, cement, and Mortor for building. The limestone and clay is mixed and then heated strongly in the kiln, this creates a powder called cement. Sand and water can be added to the cement to make Mortor (used to hold bricks together). If you then add aggregate ( small stones) to the Mortor, you will make concrete

1)Calcium carbonate ( limestone) 2)-----heat-----> calcium oxide 3) -----a few drops of water-----> calcium hydroxide 4)-----more water and filter----> calcium hydroxide solution 5)-----add carbon dioxide----->limestone

1)limestone/calcium carbonate

2) limestone is heated in a kiln ( thermal decomposition) to produce carbon dioxide gas and cadmium carbonate

3)a few drops of water is added, producing calcium hydroxide

4) more water is added and it is filtered, this produces calcium hydroxide solution ( limewater)

5) add carbon dioxide to the solution to make isoluable calcium carbonate ( also called limewater will go cloudy when carbon dioxide is produced as the calcium carbonate produced is insoluable, so you can see the solid limestone).

Calcium hydroxide is an alkali ( because it contains OH- ions) so it can be used to neutralise acids, such as neutralising acidic soil by…