Once ignited, calcium metal burns in air to produce a mixture of calcium oxide and calcium nitride.
Here's a breakdown of the reaction:
When heated to ignition temperature, calcium reacts with the components of air, primarily oxygen and nitrogen. This results in the formation of two main products:
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Calcium Oxide (CaO): This is a white solid formed by the reaction of calcium with oxygen.
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Calcium Nitride (Ca3N2): This is a reddish-brown solid formed by the reaction of calcium with nitrogen.
The overall reaction can be represented as follows:
- With Oxygen: 2Ca(s) + O2(g) → 2CaO(s)
- With Nitrogen: 3Ca(s) + N2(g) → Ca3N2(s)
Calcium oxide is also produced by heating calcium carbonate (CaCO3). This process is used more commonly to produce calcium oxide in larger quantities. The reaction for that process is:
CaCO3(s) → CaO(s) + CO2(g)
In summary, calcium reacts with both oxygen and nitrogen in the air when heated, forming calcium oxide and calcium nitride, respectively.
