21 Chemistry -- Foundation and Fundamentals of Chemistry

Is the limestone pure CaCO3? Why is average atomic mass generally fractional?

Is the limestone pure CaCO3? Why is average atomic mass generally fractional?

# Limestone doesn't exist out in the world as pure calcium carbonate for the most part, and making it into a pure substance usually requires some kind of processing. Mostly, this is us making a distinction between calcium carbonate (the compound) and limestone (the material out in the world).


# The atomic masses of most elements are fractional because they exist as a mixture of isotopes of different masses. Most elements occur as a mixture of isotopes of different masses. The fractional atomic masses arise because of this mixture.

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