Answer :
Final answer:
Animals can accelerate the rate of chemical weathering of limestone by breaking it into pieces, which increases the surface area available for reactions with atmospheric compounds, such as sulfur dioxide.
Explanation:
When animals break limestone (essentially calcium carbonate or CaCO3) into pieces, they are increasing the surface area of the limestone available for chemical reactions. Consider the reaction where calcium carbonate deteriorates when it reacts with pollutants like sulfur dioxide in the air. Sulfur dioxide combines with water vapor in the air to produce sulfurous acid. This sulfurous acid then reacts with calcium carbonate as follows:
CaCO3(s) + H₂SO3(aq) -> CaSO3(aq) + CO₂(g) + H₂O(l)
By breaking the limestone into smaller pieces, animals inadvertently increase the exposure of the limestone to these reactions, resulting in an accelerated rate of weathering. Therefore, in a similar manner, we can say that the rate of chemical weathering of limestone is greatly influenced by the physical action of animals.
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