Limestone stone: description, properties, application

Limestone is one of the types of rocks of sedimentary origin. It is defined in a variety of manifestations - from shell rock to formed coral reefs, mountain ranges and thin deposits, durable marble and crumbly white chalk.

Being calcium carbonate (CaCO3), limestone contains many additional chemical and organic impurities that form the rock varieties. For example, dolomite rocks contain inclusions of manganese oxide, marls contain an admixture of sulfur. The basis of the stone is organic matter - shells, shells, skeletons of mollusks and other ancient inhabitants of the seas.

Limestone is not a strong and dense rock, except for some varieties (marble, coral). It is hygroscopic, soluble in water, easy to cut, and releases carbon dioxide when interacting with acids. This factor is dangerous for humanity, since groundwater and sediments, saturated with acidic compounds, can quickly decompose ground limestone deposits. As a result of washed out voids, sinkholes are formed that can swallow multi-story buildings.

Origin story

The origin of limestone rocks began hundreds of millions of years ago. Since primitive times, people have built their homes in grottoes and caves made of limestone. Since then, stone began to be used as a unique, durable building material, from which the cities of Ancient Rus', statues, sculptures and monuments were subsequently built.

Cultural masterpieces created from limestone many centuries ago and preserved to this day include the Egyptian pyramids, the Chinese Wall and the Kremlin in Moscow.

Ore minerals

What minerals are called ore minerals? Man has been searching for ore deposits containing metals for a long time. Iron, steel, and cast iron are smelted from ferrous metal ores, and aluminum, zinc, lead, and copper are smelted from non-ferrous metal ores. As a rule, products do not contain pure metals, but their alloys. Alloys are substances produced by melting two or more metals. Some products require plasticity, elasticity, flexibility, others need strength, hardness, durability, and others need lightness and shine. For example, pure iron is a very soft metal, from which you cannot make either a nail or a knife. To make steel, other metals and various impurities are added to iron. An alloy of aluminum, chromium, titanium is used in the production of strong and durable space and military ships, aircraft, and rockets. And chocolate, tea, and processed cheese are wrapped in thin aluminum sheets - foil.

Types and colors of limestone

In nature, there are a large number of varieties of limestones, which are classified both by color and structure, chemical composition, origin, scope of application, and other characteristics.

Depending on the type of impurities, limestones of different colors can be combined into the following groups:

White and gray color – “pure” rock that does not contain foreign impurities;
Red and brown shades are limestones, which contain an admixture of manganese;
Yellow and brown colors are caused by iron impurities;
Green tones are stones with organic inclusions in the form of seaweed;
Dark gray and black shades are rare limestones with organic impurities.

Depending on the structural features and chemical composition of the rock:

Dolomitized – limestones containing 4 to 17% magnesium oxide. With an increase in the proportion of magnesium, this type of rock is transformed into dolomite.
Marbled - carbonate limestones with a palette of shades from light beige to gray-blue and a high content of organic inclusions (fossilized mollusk shells).
Corals are hard limestones with a porous structure, formed into reefs from mollusk shells and the shells of other ancient inhabitants of marine fauna.
Clayey - formations with an intermediate composition between limestone and marl, while the ratio of clay and carbonate particles can vary. They are softer than limestone and more brittle compared to shale clays.

Based on their origin, the following types of limestone are distinguished:

Jurassic (marble) is an organic rock with a history of hundreds of millions of years, which has high strength, density and fine grain size. In the Middle Ages, a variety of limestone was called marble because of its susceptibility to polishing.
Putilovsky is limestone with unique physical characteristics, low percentage of moisture absorption and abrasion. During the formation of St. Petersburg, it was the main building material, named after the place of limestone mining - the Putilovsky quarry, located in the Leningrad region.

Depending on the scope of application:

Flux is a durable type of limestone, the main raw material for producing flux, which is widely used in metallurgy, where it is used for smelting metals.
Facing is a building stone of organic origin, which is used for cladding the exteriors and interiors of premises.

Based on the features of occurrence and macrotexture, fractured, layered, landslide, platy, and cavernous limestones are distinguished. Back to contents

Saving the use of minerals

What should a person do in order to economically spend the wealth of underground storerooms? Scientists are creating new artificial materials to replace metal and fossil fuels. Instead of metal, plastic is being used more and more. Look around and you will see how many things are made of plastic instead of expensive metal and valuable wood. Fuel from coal and oil replace other heat sources. Hydroelectric power plants are built that use the power of water, or the power of wind, or solar heat. People collect scrap metal, from which metals are smelted in factories. The use of scrap metal allows you to treat ore minerals with care and use them economically. It is also necessary to ensure that gas and electrical appliances do not burn unnecessarily, to conserve heat at school and at home during the cold season, without leaving doors wide open in the entrances. Watch out for the economical use of drinking water, because its purification and delivery through pipes to residential buildings, factories and factories is impossible without the use of minerals.

Limestone mining and its deposits

Limestone is a common sedimentary rock whose reserves are considered inexhaustible. It is not found except in Australia; on other continents, production is carried out on an industrial scale.

The main deposits of Russia are located in the western part of the state, which in the past was covered by seas. Massive developments are carried out from the Belgorod and Tula regions to Moscow, in the Vologda, Voronezh regions and the outskirts of St. Petersburg, in the regions of the Krasnodar Territory and Arkhangelsk. Currently, active development of limestone is carried out in the Zhdanovsky deposit, which is located in the Orenburg region. The Urals and Siberia are distinguished by single deposits.

In neighboring countries, the largest Elenovskoe stone deposit is located in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. Many Alpine mountain ranges are of limestone origin.

Interesting Facts

The peoples of South and Central America made a great contribution to the development of stone carving. The Olmecs, Aztecs, and Mayans achieved significant success in the ability to make weapons, cutting tools and other household items from chalcedony, obsidian and silicon. Thus, they created rolling pins, grain grinders, mortars, etc. from basalt, sandstones and limestones. Percussion and chopping tools were made from diorite, jadeite, jade and other materials. The main centers for stone processing are the Mayan cities of Tonina and Nebah.

The healing properties of the mineral

The organic and pure composition of limestone allows you to successfully use its healing properties. This is an effective antiseptic that blocks the spread of infection throughout the body. That is why the natural stone, which does not cause allergic reactions, is used in limited quantities by traditional healers to alleviate conditions in many diseases.

Healing properties also appear depending on the color of the mineral:

calcite in red and pink shades – relieves nervous tension, normalizes sleep, helps in the treatment of blood diseases;
blue limestone – helps lower blood pressure, so it should be used carefully by hypotensive patients;
yellow mineral – improves digestion and is also used for meditation.

To achieve the result, limestone is applied to the problem area, held in hands for a certain time, and also drinking water purified by the mineral.

Despite the pronounced therapeutic effect, limestone can cause harm. Thus, frequent inhalation of large amounts of limestone dust can negatively affect health and cause respiratory diseases.

Answers to pages 6 - 7

6. Study the properties of minerals such as limestone, marble, sand and clay. Write down the results of experiments and observations, following the instructions in the textbook (pp. 22-25), and illustrate them with your own illustrations.

Limestone 1. Consists of small particles held together. 2. White or light gray. 3. Sinks in water - heavier than water. 4. Hard and dense. 5. Dissolves under the action of acetic acid.

Marble 1. Stone. 2. Various colors. 3. Matte, highly polished. 4. Very hard and dense. 5. Consists of individual shiny grains.

Sand 1. Consists of individual grains of different sizes. 2. Yellow. 3. Bulk matter. 4. Harder than glass. 5. Insoluble in water, odorless.

Clay 1. Consists of small particles similar to scales. 2. Brown. 3. Plastic. 4. Softer than glass. 5. Has a special smell.

7. What mineral resources is your region rich in? List them.

Limestone, clay, sand, coal, cobalt, molybdenum, tin, zinc, lead, gold, oil, asbestos, natural gas, potassium salts, nickel, tungsten, platinum, graphite, mica, peat, iron ores, manganese, titanium ores , chromium, aluminum, copper, uranium, silver.

Source

Magic of stone

The magical effect of limestone is similar to that of calcite. It also develops intuition in people, the ability to foresee actions and consequences. With its energy, the stone attracts the attention of others to its owner on an emotional level. This property is often used by girls to attract a guy they like.

A talisman with limestone will protect you from wrong decisions and protect you from troubles. The stone helps get rid of laziness and bad mood. In creative natures, he will develop imagination and a thirst for beauty.

Back to contents

Precious metals

Jewelers have long been attracted by the remarkable properties of precious metals: gold, silver, platinum (Fig. 8). They are used to make jewelry and mint coins. These precious metals are widely used in radio engineering; ultra-precise space instruments are made from them.

Rice. 8. Platinum (Source)

If you live in the Urals, Transbaikalia, Altai, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Eastern Siberia or the Far East, then your region is rich in deposits of non-ferrous rare metal ores. In Yakutia, for example, oil, diamonds, and brown coal are mined.

It is impossible to imagine the life of a modern person without minerals. Minerals are a huge, priceless wealth of our country.

Application of limestone

The properties and structural features of the stone contribute to its widespread use in many areas of the national economy. The main areas in which it is used are:

Construction and design (cladding of building facades and interiors, installation of floors, steps and fireplaces, landscape design, production of limestone mixtures, cement, chalk and many types of crushed stone, production of decorative elements);
Glassmaking (one of the components in the production of heat-resistant glass);
Metallurgical industry (fluxed limestones are used in the manufacture of alloys);
Road construction (crushed stone of various sizes);
Cable production, production of limestone solutions for coating welding electrodes;
Production of tooth powder, crayons for drawing;
Chemical industry (production of soda, production of rubber and paints and varnishes);
Limestone is also used as a raw material in soap making, printing and fertilizer production. In the food industry, stone is used as a filter in the production of sugar.

In jewelry, translucent stones painted in pastel colors are used. They are cut for decoration, after which they are mounted mainly in cupronickel or silver frames.

Chemical industry

Even things like shoe polish, toothpaste, cleaning powder, etc., which we use every day, are derived from limestone. These raw materials are also used in the manufacture of products used to protect the environment from various types of pollution. Based on all of the above, we can safely say that the widely known and accessible material, which is limestone, represents the most important element of modern civilization.

Zodiac signs

Limestone, the basis of which is calcite, can be recommended to all zodiac signs except Scorpios. Representatives of this zodiac sign are most prone to black magic and the occult, while the energy of the stone is light. That is why strong-willed Scorpios do not find a common language with him.

The rest of the signs of the Zodiac circle can fully experience the positive properties of limestone. Representatives of the astral house, who need clarity and accuracy in their professional activities, will especially feel the help of the stone. These are financiers, accountants, doctors and representatives of legal structures. Back to contents

Underground riches

Do you want to know what riches are hidden underground?
Rocks and minerals that people use for their economic needs are called minerals. Most of them are hard: coal, peat, granite, marble, diamond, sand. But there are also liquid minerals, such as oil and mineral water. There are also gaseous minerals - natural gas. Geologists are constantly engaged in exploration of mineral deposits (Fig. 1). Rice. 1. Minerals (Source)

To make glass and make a glass, you need special sand, this is a mineral. To make the soup salty, you need salt, this is also a mineral. To make a cup or saucer, you need a special white clay - kaolin (Fig. 2).

Rice. 2. Kaolin (Source)

A teaspoon is made of metal, and a railroad, and an ocean liner, and machine tools, and a watch, and many other objects. Metals are smelted from ore, which is also a mineral (Fig. 3). Man-made airplanes and diesel locomotives will not go or fly on their own; they need fuel - gasoline and kerosene, which are produced from oil. Oil is pumped out of the ground; it is also a mineral. Natural gas, which burns with blue lights on the kitchen stove, is also a mineral. That's how many different underground riches there are.

Rice. 3. Iron Ore (Source)

Summary of a lesson on cognitive activity in the preparatory group “Limestone in our lives”

LESSON SUMMARY

for pre-school

Educator – Tarasova Elena Nikolaevna

teacher of MBDOU "Kindergarten "Vasilyok"

MBDOU "Kindergarten "Vasilyok"

— Examination of limestone with impressions of shells , algae, ammonites in the Science Center, lead children to the conclusion that limestone is the remains of sea animals and algae.

- mixing sand, cement, chalk with water;

— working with cement with different filters.

TARGET. Create conditions for instilling pride in one’s Small Motherland, in the “necessity”
of limestone and cement production for all of Russia.
Expand children's environmental knowledge using the example of the regional component. — Introduce children to the role of limestone in human life , which people have used for their purposes since ancient times.

— To form in children of senior preschool age basic ideas about cement, limestone , the ability to examine them and name their properties.

— Contribute to the formation of skills in search and research activities , the development of intellectual initiative, the ability to determine possible methods of solving a problem with the help of an adult.

— Expand children’s ecologically valuable contacts with plants and inanimate objects.

— Teach children to explain environmental dependencies, establish connections and interactions between humans and nature.

— Activate the cognitive and speech activity of children .

— To develop emotional responsiveness, curiosity, interest in a variety of natural resources, and environmental culture of preschoolers.

— Develop observation, curiosity, the ability to establish simple connections and patterns.

— Develop children’s interest in the process of joint activities .

— Foster a caring attitude towards nature and the surrounding world.

— Evoke an emotional response during observations and excursions.

— Develop children’s interest in the process of joint activities .

— Teach children how to communicate with children and adults.