Why do would a mineral such as calcite fizz when a weak acid is dropped on it?

1 Answer
Dec 12, 2016

#"Calcite mineral"# is #"CaCO"_3#. This reacts with strong acids.

Explanation:

With a strong acid..........

#CaCO_3(s) +2HCl(aq) rarr CaCl_2(aq) + H_2O(l) + CO_2(g)uarr#

The effervescence is #CO_2(g)#. Of course, #HCl# is not a weak acid. However, calcium carbonate tends to react with weaker acids such as acetic acid.