Earth Materials : Limestone Aims

To observe changes which take

¤ place when limestone is heated

Limestone is a type of rock which was once the bones and shells LS1 HF To identify the chemicals made
of sea animals. These died and collected as sediments at the as this change takes place.
bottom of seas, oceans and lakes.

Chemical name
Chemical formula Alternative names

Limestone can be used to prepare a number of new materials. For this to happen, limestone must
undergo thermal decomposition. This means ...

Experiment : To investigate the thermal decomposition of limestone

Calcium carbonate Calcium oxide 1 Select a small clean marble chip and weigh it.
Limestone Quicklime Record the mass in the table below,
Heat until glows ALLOW TO COOL

2 Balance the chip on top of a gauze and tripod. Use a

bunsen to heat it strongy from both above and beneath.
Record your observations below.
watch glass
3 After 10-15 minutes of heating allow the chip to
completely cool down
Do not touch the chip directly as it is now corrosive.
Calcium hydroxide Calcium hydroxide
Limewater Slaked lime
Dissolve in a lot of water Add a little water 4 While the chip is cooling, record the mass of an empty
watch glass in the table below.

5 Carefully move the cool chip on to the watch glass and re-
weigh the chip. Record the mass in the table below.
6 With the watch glass on aheat-proof mat slowly add 4-5
drops of watch to the chip
Record your observations below.
7 Touch the wet surface of the chip with Universal Indicator paper. Record your observations below.

8 Carefully wash all of the contents of the watch glass into a boiling tube and fill the tube so that it is
approximately 1/3 full. Shake and then filter the solution into a clean beaker.

9 If asked, bubble carbon dioxide into the filtered solution. Record your observations below.

Weighings Observations

ŒMass of unheated marble chip g Step 2

Mass of empty watch glass g

ŽMass of watch glass + heated chip g Step 6

Mass of heated chip Ž- g

Questions Step 7

Did the chip lose or gain mass ?

Step 9
What kind of solution was made ? (step 7)
Earth Materials : Limekilns Aims
To explain the changes which
¤ occur when limestone is heated.

When limestone is heated it undergoes a chemical change known as LS2 H To understand common chemical
thermal decomposition. This process is used on a large scale in terms used to describe the
running of a limekiln.
industry to manufacture chemicals. Info

Limestone When limestone (CaCO3) undergoes this kind of

A vertical shaft limekiln

decomposition it produces quicklime (CaO).

CO 2
Quicklime is produced in refractory-lined kilns. In most
kilns, limestone is fed in at the top of the shaft and
quicklime is drawn from the bottom.
Air is blown in at the base and burns with fuels part of
Refractory the way up the kiln. The products of combustion of the
lining fuel is mostly carbon dioxide gas(CO2) which escapes
through vents at the top of the shaft.
Various fuels are used eg coil, oil, natural gas and coke
depending on the local fuel costs. The temperature
Fuel Fuel
created by these fuels reaches over 1000°C in the
(gas)
middle of the kiln.
Air Quicklime
Most modern kilns produce up to 300 tonnes/day of
quicklime. Most quicklime is sold as a granular product
but there is a growing market for the finely crushed solid.
Once limestone has been converted into quicklime, the quicklime is used to form slaked lime
.

Limestone is one of the world's most common minerals Glass

Because it is cheap and readily available it forms an Cement
and Iron
an important part of many other materials. CaCO extraction
concrete
Process
Task

Chemical
Steel CaO Manufacture
What is meant by thermal decomposition ?
Process

Neutralising
acidic Ca(OH) Bleaches
soil

This equation shows the decomposition of limestone (Process A) Water treatment

Complete this equation:

=> CaO +
Limestone Quicklime Carbon dioxide

One of the solid fuels used to provide the energy for decomposition is carbon (coke).
The burning of carbon in oxygen is exothermic. Underline the sentence(s) in the passage about th
limekiln which suggests burning fuels is exothermic
What does exothermic mean ?

This equation shows the formation of slaked lime (Process B)

Complete this equation : + H 2O =>
Quicklime Water Slaked lime

Look at the uses of this chemical and circle one for this chemical based on the fact it is alkaline.
Earth Materials : Using Limestone Aims
To identify day-to-day uses for
¤ limestone, quicklime and slaked
lime
When limestone is heated it undergoes a chemical change. LS2 F
The new substance is called quicklime. This too can be changed by To explain how glass and cement
are made using lime-chemicals
adding water to make slaked lime.

These three materials are given the following chemical names

Limestone CaCO3 =
Quicklime CaO =
Slaked Lime Ca(OH)2 =

These three substances have very important in day to day uses. Some are shown below in the flow chart.

Task Chemical Flow Chart

Cut
or
Copy Limestone
Calcium carbonate
used
for
or

Heated
strongly

Quicklime
Calcium oxide
used
for
or

added to
water

Slaked Lime
Calcium hydroxide
used
for

Task Use the space below and extra lined paper to describe how both glass and concrete are made

Research
Blast Furnace Sewage Chemical Chemical Building Added
Treatment manufacture manufacture Materials to soil
(neutralisation)

F F A
CaCO3 Ca(OH)2 CaO Ca(OH)2 CaCO3 Ca(OH)2
Lumps

Crystal Glass
Steel making

foundations
Road
CaO

CaCO
CaCO
Sheet LS2 Fb

Blast Furnace Sewage Chemical Chemical Building Added

Treatment manufacture manufacture Materials to soil
(neutralisation)

F F A
CaCO3 Ca(OH)2 CaO Ca(OH)2 CaCO3 Ca(OH)2
Lumps
Crystal Glass
Steel making

foundations
Road
CaO

CaCO
CaCO

Sheet LS2 Fb

Blast Furnace Sewage Chemical Chemical Building Added

Treatment manufacture manufacture Materials to soil
(neutralisation)

F F A
CaCO3 Ca(OH)2 CaO Ca(OH)2 CaCO3 Ca(OH)2
Lumps
Crystal Glass
Steel making

foundations
Road
CaO

CaCO
CaCO

Sheet LS2 Fb
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