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The term "calcium sulfate" itself does not represent a chemical reaction, so there isn't a "balanced equation" for it alone. Calcium sulfate is a chemical compound with the formula CaSO4. However, if you are looking for the balanced equation for the formation of calcium sulfate from its elements, it would be:
\[Ca (s) + S(s) + 2 O_2(g) \rightarrow CaSO_4(s)\]
In this equation: - \(Ca\) is calcium, - \(S\) is sulfur, - \(O_2\) is oxygen gas (Oxygen is diatomic in its standard state meaning it naturally pairs up), - \(CaSO_4\) is calcium sulfate.
Each side of the equation has one calcium atom, one sulfur atom, and four oxygen atoms, which makes the equation balanced.
Extra: Balancing chemical equations is fundamental in chemistry, ensuring that the same number of atoms of each element is present on both the reactant side and the product side of a chemical reaction, following the law of conservation of mass. This means that matter is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction.
Calcium sulfate is a widely used chemical compound. It can be commonly found in the form of its dihydrate \(CaSO_4·2H_2O\), known as gypsum, which is used in making plaster and plasterboard. When gypsum is heated to a temperature, it loses water to form the hemihydrate, commonly known as plaster of Paris (\(CaSO_4·0.5H_2O\)), or the anhydrous form (\(CaSO_4\)), used in the construction industry and other applications.
In chemistry, students learn to write and balance chemical equations by making sure the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation. This skill is vital for predicting the amounts of reactants needed and products formed in a chemical reaction.