Final answer:
The standard enthalpy of formation of CaCO₃(s) is determined using values from reference tables like Appendix G. The listed enthalpy for the decomposition of CaCO₃(s) does not match any of the given options, indicating the need to consult standard values.
Step-by-step explanation:
The standard enthalpy of formation of CaCO₃(s) can be determined using a reference table like Appendix G, which lists standard enthalpies of formation for various compounds. Enthalpy is a measure of the heat content of a system at constant pressure. In chemistry, the standard enthalpy of formation is defined for a compound as the change in enthalpy during the formation of 1 mole of the substance from its constituent elements in their standard states.
According to the provided information, when CaCO₃ (s) decomposes into CaO (s) and CO₂ (g), the enthalpy change ΔH is 177.8 kJ, which is actually the opposite of its formation (which would be exothermic and have a negative sign). Therefore, the enthalpy of formation of CaCO₃ (s) would be in the negative vicinity of this value.
Since none of the options provided are close to -177.8 kJ/mol, this discrepancy might hint at the need to refer to the standard values in a chemistry reference such as Table T1 or Appendix G for the precise answer. It is also important to remember that the standard enthalpy of formation for any element in its most stable form is zero. Thus, we typically only consider compounds when looking at standard enthalpy of formation values.