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Tried a vinegar test on a rock from my yard, got a surprise
Found a weird looking rock near the creek last month. Figured I'd try the old vinegar test to see if it was limestone. Poured some on, expected a little fizz. Thing went off like a science fair volcano. Turns out it was a big chunk of calcite, not limestone. Learned that vinegar reacts with any carbonate mineral, not just the rock type I thought. Anyone know a better way to tell calcite from limestone in the field?
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jana_hart181mo ago
Wait you found a chunk of calcite that big just lying around? That's wild. I've only ever seen little bits in rock shops. Your yard must be sitting on some kind of geological jackpot. A piece that reacts that strong is probably super pure. Makes me want to go poke around my own creek now.
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claire_gibson1mo ago
Hold up, she's only seen it in rock shops? That's crazy to me. I find little broken pieces of calcite in gravel driveways all the time. The white stuff that fizzes, right? It's not super rare. But a chunk the size of your fist just sitting there, that's a different story.
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