Question

Write a balanced chemical reaction involved in heating Gypsum at 100^oC.

Answer 1

Heating of Gypsum:

• When Gypsum(${\mathrm{CaSO}}_4.2{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}$) is heated to a temperature of 100^oC(373K), it loses one and a half molecules of water and forms Plaster Of Paris [Calcium sulphate hemihydrate(${\mathrm{CaSO}}_4.\frac{1}{2}{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}$)].
• Reaction can be given as follows: $$\begin{gathered} {\mathrm{CaSO}}_4.2{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\underset{∆}{\overset{100°\mathrm{C}}{\to }}{\mathrm{CaSO}}_4.\frac{1}{2}{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O} \\ (\mathrm{Gypsum}/\mathrm{Calcium}\mathrm{sulphate}\mathrm{dihydrate})(\mathrm{Plaster}\mathrm{Of}\mathrm{Paris}/\mathrm{Calcium}\mathrm{sulphate}\mathrm{hemihydrate}) \end{gathered}$$.