What are the properties of limestone?
Quick Answer
Limestone has low porosity; it is weather resistant and has a density of between 2.5 and 2.7 kg/cm3. It has a hardness of between 3 and 4 on Moh's Scale and a water absorption of less than 1 percent.
Continue ReadingFull Answer
Limestone is a very compact rock that takes polish very well. It is a sedimentary rock that is usually formed at the bottom of lakes and oceans and is calcium-rich. Its chemical formula is CaCO3 and it is where many fossils are found. Calcium carbonate is limestone that contains at least 95 percent calcium and magnesium limestone is limestone in which some of the calcium has been replaced with magnesium.
Limestone is an acid sensitive stone, similar to marble. It is often used on the floors of homes and businesses and also used to make counter tops, furniture, chalk and in cement production.
Limestone has many chemical properties as well as physical properties. It contains between 38 and 42 percent lime, 15 to 18 percent silica, three and five percent alumina and trace amounts of magnesium oxide and iron oxide.
In the U.S., limestone occurs in the Lampasas River area of Texas. It can also be found in the UK in England, and in the Airedale Road Weston region of New Zealand.
Learn more about GeologyRelated Questions
-
Q:
Where does limestone come from?
A: Limestone comes from either the accumulation of organic debris of shells, fecal matter, algae and corals or from dissolved calcium carbonate depositing on ... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
What are limestone pavers?
A: Limestone pavers are cut pieces of limestone used for driveways, walkways, patios, pool edging and other applications. Limestone is a sedimentary rock made... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
What are examples of different rock types?
A: Rocks have three main types or classes, which are sedimentary rocks such as limestone, igneous rocks such as obsidian, and metamorphic rocks such as marble... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
How does marble form?
A: Marble is a soft metamorphic rock that forms at the edges of tectonic plates, where limestone is exposed to regional metamorphism. The heat and pressure of... Full Answer >Filed Under:
