Difference Between Calcium Carbonate and Calcite

Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the formula CaCO₃. This means that it is made up of one calcium atom, one carbon atom, and three oxygen atoms.

Calcite is a natural mineral that is composed primarily of calcium carbonate. In other words, calcite is a form of calcium carbonate that occurs in nature.

Why then do we use both terms?

Calcium carbonate: This term refers to the chemical composition of the substance. It is widely used in industry and science to describe the substance in chemical terms.
Calcite: This term refers to the natural mineral form of calcium carbonate. It is used in geology and mineralogy to describe the material from a physical and geological perspective.

Properties of calcium carbonate and calcite

Calcium carbonate and calcite are two closely related terms, as calcite is the natural mineral form of calcium carbonate. Therefore, the physical and chemical properties of both are quite similar.

Physical properties:

Color: It is usually colorless or white, but can be colored in different colors such as yellow, red, orange, blue, green, brown, or gray, depending on the impurities present.
Hardness: It has a Mohs hardness of about 3, making it a medium-hard material.
Density: Its density is about 2.71 g/cm³.
Crystalline form: It takes different crystalline forms, including cubic and hexagonal.
Transparency: It can be transparent, translucent or opaque.
Refraction: It has double refraction, which means it breaks light into two separate rays.

Chemical properties:

Chemical formula: CaCO₃
Solubility: Practically insoluble in pure water, but dissolves in acids to form calcium salt and carbon dioxide gas.
Reaction with acids: Reacts actively with acids, forming calcium salt and carbon dioxide gas.
Heating: When heated to a high temperature, it decomposes into calcium oxide and carbon dioxide gas.

Uses:

Construction industry: used in the production of cement, gypsum and marble.
Papermaking: It is used as a filling agent in papermaking.
Plastics industry: It is used as a filler in the plastics industry.
Paint industry: It is used as a white pigment in paints.
Agriculture: Used as a source of calcium in fertilizers.
Pharmaceutical industries: It is used as a filler in some medicines.

Importance of calcite:

A major component of sedimentary rocks: Calcite makes up a large part of sedimentary rocks such as limestone and dolomite.
Important source of calcium: Calcite is used as a source of calcium in many industries.
Important Raw Material: Calcite is used as a raw material in the production of many products.

Calcium carbonate and calcite are basic and widely used materials in many fields. Its physical and chemical properties make it a valuable material in industry, construction, agriculture and other fields.

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