Re: Basic Chemistry

On Sat, 18 Feb 2006 00:56:23 GMT, Elmer <nylicens@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

I am engaged in a discussion with a YEC

What is YEC?

on another newsgroup. I have
been trying to explain to him that calcification

Are you talking about a biological process of calcification, or a
chemical process on dead stuff?

of an object is not the
same as fossilization (atom for atom replacement). I also said that any
object that was calcified could be restored by immersing in CLR

What is CLR?

(I would
have said an acid, but that would likely overload him). The problem I'm
having is that my chem course never happened and the only chem I can
remember is from a minerology course I had years ago. I know that water
saturated in CaCO3 will coat an object but what is the chemical formula
of the resulting coating?

It may be various things, depending on what is in the water. Many Ca
salts are quite insoluble. CaCO3 is insoluble, at high (basic) pH, and
so if something raises the pH of a saturated CaCO3 solution, it could
deposit CaCO3. Some organisms make CaCO3 skeletons.


Is it CaO?

That is more soluble than CaCO3. CaO dissolves to give Ca(OH)2,
commonly called lime water. (You don't really have CaO in solution.)

bob


Or are there steps I am missing?
Any hlep appreciated so I get this right.
.