Barium carbonate facts for kids
Barium carbonate is a chemical compound that you might find in some everyday items! Its chemical formula is BaCO3. This means it's made up of barium and carbonate ions, which are tiny charged particles.
Contents
What is Barium Carbonate?
Barium carbonate is a white, solid substance. It does not dissolve in water, which means it won't disappear if you put it in water.
How Does It React?
When barium carbonate mixes with acids, it forms different barium salts. If you heat it up, it changes into barium oxide and carbon dioxide gas. It also reacts with sulfuric acid to create barium sulfate.
Where is Barium Carbonate Found?
Barium carbonate naturally occurs as a mineral called witherite. This mineral is a very important source for getting other barium compounds.
Mining Witherite
Witherite is easier to change into other useful barium chemicals compared to another mineral called barite (barium sulfate). A lot of witherite is mined in a place called Northumberland. If water containing sulfates flows through witherite, it can slowly turn into barium sulfate.
How is Barium Carbonate Made?
Barium carbonate can be cleaned and prepared from the natural witherite mineral. It can also be made in a lab or factory.
Making it in a Lab
One way to make it is by mixing barium sulfide with sodium carbonate. Another method involves reacting barium sulfide with a combination of carbon dioxide gas and water.
What is Barium Carbonate Used For?
Barium carbonate has several interesting uses:
- It is used in making bricks.
- It helps create glazes for ceramics. These glazes can make ceramics look shiny and come in different colors.
- It is also used in some types of pest control.
Is Barium Carbonate Safe?
Barium carbonate can be harmful if swallowed. This is because it can dissolve in the acid found in your stomach. Because of this, there has been some discussion about whether it should be used in glazes for things like dishes.
Related Pages
See also
In Spanish: Carbonato de bario para niños
