Limestone

Introduction to Limestone

• Limestone is a sedimentary rock, made out of calcium carbonate
• It is used as a building material, and to make cement and concrete
• Limestone is a part of the carbonate family, which all contain a \(CO_3^{2-}\) ion
• Calcium carbonate is found in many natural materials such as egg shells, mother of pearl and sea shells.
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Quarrying limestone

• Quarrying limestone brings with it a number of social, economic and environmental issues:
• Quarries and mines can be an eyesore
• They can lead to increased traffic in an area
• They can cause noise and dust
• But can also have a number of benefits:
• They lead to increased employment in an area
• They create spin off employment
• Limestone is an extremely useful resource, used in the manufacture of iron and steel, road building, making cement and for neutralising acidic soil
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Comparing limestone to other materials

• \(\bullet\) Limestone is a sedimentary rock
• \(\bullet\) Marble is a metamorphic rock made by the action of high pressures and temperatures on limestone.
• \(\bullet\) Granite is an igneous rock.
• \(\bullet\) Granite is harder than marble.
• \(\bullet\)Marble is harder than limestone.
• \(\bullet\) Limestone and marble are worn away by the carbon dioxide dissolved in rain water (acid rain) This causes them to dissolve and can cause permanent damage to buildings made out of these materials.
• \(\bullet\) Granite is also damaged by acid rain, but not to the same extent.
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• Caption: Buildings like this one that are made from granite are less affected by acid rain