A white powder which sets hard on adding water is also used in hospitals name this powder how it is prepared write the chemical reaction involved in its preparation
Answers
Plaster of Paris is a white powder which is used mainly for making toys, statues, blackboard chalk and for beautification of ceilings of buildings and houses. It is also used for the setting of fractured bones in the right position. It has got its name from the fact that it was first of all prepared from gypsum which was mainly found in Paris. In short it is also called as P.O.P.
Chemical name and Chemical Formula
The chemical name of plaster of Paris is calcium sulphate hemihydrate because half molecule of water is attached with calcium sulphate. The chemical formula of plaster of Paris is CaSO4.1/2H2O
Properties of Plaster of Paris
Plaster of Paris is a white powder.
It has a property of setting into hard mass when water is added into it, within half an hour. The setting of plaster of Paris is due to its hydration to form crystals of gypsum which set to form hard and solid mass.