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My uncle told me to use vinegar to test for calcite in rocks, and it actually works.

He's a retired science teacher and said if a rock fizzes with white vinegar, it's got calcite in it. I tried it on a bunch of pieces I found near the creek in Springfield last fall. Sure enough, this one grayish rock bubbled a little after about ten seconds. It's way cheaper than buying a small bottle of hydrochloric acid, and you probably have it in your kitchen. Has anyone else tried this method on different kinds of minerals?
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grantw32
grantw3210d ago
Sounds cool for a quick check, but honestly it's just vinegar on a rock. I mean, @elliot_patel, your dad did it on gravel, it's not like you're finding gold. It fizzes a little and you know there's some calcite, big deal. Feels like we're making a huge thing out of a basic kitchen experiment. Maybe it's just me, but I don't get why everyone acts like this is some major discovery.
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willowh20
willowh2011d ago
So your uncle basically turned your kitchen into a low-budget geology lab? That's pretty clever, using salad dressing to figure out what a rock is made of. I guess it proves you don't need fancy stuff to do some science.
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elliot_patel
Right, willowh20? My dad used vinegar to test our driveway gravel.
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