Question

When solid calcium carbonate is heated strongly, what occurs?

Answer 1

When solid calcium carbonate is heated strongly, it decomposes into calcium oxide and carbon dioxide gas in an endothermic reaction, absorbing
`177.8 kJ/mol` of heat.

Step-by-step explanation:

When solid calcium carbonate is heated strongly, it undergoes a process known as thermal decomposition. This is an endothermic reaction where calcium carbonate
`(CaCO3)` decomposes into calcium oxide
`(CaO)` and carbon dioxide
`(CO2 gas)`. An endothermic reaction is one that absorbs energy from the surroundings, which in this case is heat energy.

The thermochemical equation for this reaction is:

`CaCO3(s) → CaO(s) + CO2(g) ΔH = +177.8 kJ/mol`

Here,
`+177.8 kJ/mol`indicates the amount of heat absorbed when 1 mol of calcium carbonate decomposes. As the system absorbs heat surrounding temperatures could potentially drop due to the consumption of thermal energy. This type of reaction is critical in various industrial processes including the manufacturing of cement and lime.