Preliminary: Rocks and Minerals

[gneissisnice]

do calcite and aragonite occur outside of recrystallized mollusk shells, and other fossils?

Yes, so they're not strictly organic minerals. Technically, coquina, fossiliferous limestone and oolitic limestone can't occur outside of fossils (since by definition they're made from shell fragments and/or oolites), but those would be more organic things on the list. Actual organic mineraloids like amber or jet weren't on the list last time.

[quizbowl]

Would they provide HCl for us?

[Luo]

Would they provide HCl for us?

HCl was specifically prohibited in the rules, so unless that's changed, no. However, supervisors may provide written descriptions of a substance's reactivity with HCl.

[gneissisnice]

Would they provide HCl for us?

HCl was specifically prohibited in the rules, so unless that's changed, no. However, supervisors may provide written descriptions of a substance's reactivity with HCl.

Actually, that's not true. You're prohibited from bringing your own HCl, so you couldn't even pack it if you wanted to, but the event supervisors can choose to put bottles of HCl at certain stations. It's, of course, always dilute and you'd really only see it at stations with calcite or dolomite. They can also just write "this substance does/does not effervesce when HCl is added", like you said, but they can certainly provide HCl for some stations if they want to.

[Luo]

Would they provide HCl for us?

HCl was specifically prohibited in the rules, so unless that's changed, no. However, supervisors may provide written descriptions of a substance's reactivity with HCl.

Actually, that's not true. You're prohibited from bringing your own HCl, so you couldn't even pack it if you wanted to, but the event supervisors can choose to put bottles of HCl at certain stations. It's, of course, always dilute and you'd really only see it at stations with calcite or dolomite. They can also just write "this substance does/does not effervesce when HCl is added", like you said, but they can certainly provide HCl for some stations if they want to.

I have the 2008 rule sheet in front of me, which states that "HCl will not be provided, nor may it be brought to or be used during the competition. Written descriptions as to how a specimen might react were it to be tested with HCl may be provided." It's the same as in the trial event rules part 3d.

[gneissisnice]

HCl was specifically prohibited in the rules, so unless that's changed, no. However, supervisors may provide written descriptions of a substance's reactivity with HCl.

Actually, that's not true. You're prohibited from bringing your own HCl, so you couldn't even pack it if you wanted to, but the event supervisors can choose to put bottles of HCl at certain stations. It's, of course, always dilute and you'd really only see it at stations with calcite or dolomite. They can also just write "this substance does/does not effervesce when HCl is added", like you said, but they can certainly provide HCl for some stations if they want to.

I have the 2008 rule sheet in front of me, which states that "HCl will not be provided, nor may it be brought to or be used during the competition. Written descriptions as to how a specimen might react were it to be tested with HCl may be provided." It's the same as in the trial event rules part 3d.

Really? Because I've DEFINITELY been to competitions where there was HCl provided at certain stations.

[Luo]

I have the 2008 rule sheet in front of me, which states that "HCl will not be provided, nor may it be brought to or be used during the competition. Written descriptions as to how a specimen might react were it to be tested with HCl may be provided." It's the same as in the trial event rules part 3d.

Really? Because I've DEFINITELY been to competitions where there was HCl provided at certain stations.

Huh, interesting. Maybe that rule wasn't very well-followed by event supervisors. I suppose it's not that big a deal if all teams are provided with the same materials. Still, it seems to be technically against the rules.

[bearasauras]

Haha, must be. Seems like the rules going back to 2002 all prohibited the use of HCl regardless of being provided by participants or event supervisors.

[Cheesy Pie]

I don't think it will be provided. We don't have proper safety gear, and it could ruin the furniture in the room.

[gneissisnice]

I don't think it will be provided. We don't have proper safety gear, and it could ruin the furniture in the room.

Calcite will react with very dilute HCl; you could dump it on your skin and you wouldn't even feel a thing (not that I'm suggesting you do that, mind you).

But it's still a whole lot easier to just put a written description than to have everyone drop HCl on the same sample.