Question

What happens when gypsum is heated with 373 k?

Answer 1

373 k is a temperature that is equal to 100 degrees Celsius. Gypsum is an inorganic compound of calcium in which sulfur, oxygen, and hydrogen are present. In gypsum, water molecules are present.

Complete answer:
Gypsum is an inorganic compound of calcium and it comes under the category of sulfate minerals of calcium. There are calcium, sulfur, oxygen, and hydrogen, and there are water molecules in it. We can chemically call gypsum as calcium sulfate dihydrate because there are 2 molecules of water with calcium sulfate. The formula is $CaS{{O}_{4}}.2{{H}_{2}}O$.
So, the given temperature is 373 k at which gypsum is heated. 373 k is a temperature that is equal to 100 degrees Celsius. When the gypsum is heated at this temperature, one and a half molecules of water will be evaporated leaving half a molecule of water in the gypsum. So, the formed product is known as plaster of Paris. The reaction is given below:
$CaS{{O}_{4}}.2{{H}_{2}}O\xrightarrow{373K}CaS{{O}_{4}}.\dfrac{1}{2}{{H}_{2}}O+1\dfrac{1}{2}{{H}_{2}}O$
Plaster of Paris is a very important material that is used for building purposes. There is a unique property of plaster of Paris that it gets hard on wetting with water in which we again get the gypsum. The reaction is given below:
$CaS{{O}_{4}}.\dfrac{1}{2}{{H}_{2}}O+1\dfrac{1}{2}{{H}_{2}}O\to CaS{{O}_{4}}.2{{H}_{2}}O$
The hydration of plaster of Paris must be done only when it is going to be used otherwise it must be stored in a cool and dry place because in slow hydration the plaster of Paris becomes useless.

Note:
Plaster of Paris is also used in setting the fractured bones in the right position. Some other uses of plaster of Paris are making toys, ornaments, chalk, cosmetics, blackboard, etc.