Question

The plaster of paris is obtained by heating gypsum at 373 K.
A.True
B.False

Answer 1

Hint: Gypsum is a compound of calcium. Plaster of Paris is a white colored powder. It is made up of gypsum. The plaster gets its name because its main ingredient gypsum is found abundantly in Paris. The white powder will form a paste when it is mixed with water and it will harden into solid structures when dried. Thus, the Plaster of Paris is used to make casts and moulds.

Complete step by step answer:
Plaster of paris is a white powder, which when mixed with water sets into a hard mass as crystals of gypsum are produced with evolution of heat. Hence it is used in the setting of plaster for fixing broken bones. It is also used in making several decorative items, toys and chemical plugging
Plaster of Paris is obtained by heating gypsum or calcium sulphate dihydrate at 373 K in a kelvin.
\[CaS{O_4} \cdot 2{H_2}O\xrightarrow{{373K}}CaS{O_4} \cdot \frac{1}{2}{H_2}O\]
Hence the correct answer is option B.

Additional Information:
-It is also used as a moulding and casting agent for decorative elements.
-It is used to give aesthetic finishing touches to the buildings.
-In the medical department, plaster is used in orthopaedics to put casts around fractured bones. These stiff casts will help the bone heal and become like earlier.
-It is used to make historical monuments and structures.
-It is also used in fresco painting. It is used to make replicas as it will not shrink even when it is sunk in water.
-Plaster of Paris is used to make sculptures and metal castings used as decorative in buildings.
-It is also used in buildings to avoid fire hazards as Plaster of Paris is fire resistant.
-It is used as a coating on wood and metal structures to avoid any fire accidents.
-Plaster is used to prepare for radiotherapy during production of individualized immobilization shells for patients.
-It is also used in dentistry to make moulds of the teeth to be replaced.
-Plaster is used by funeral homes to recreate destroyed tissue and reconnect severed limbs to the dead bodies in case of accidents. It is also used to fill wounds during murder or accident.

Note:
It should be noted that there is only a difference of water molecules in the formula of plaster of paris and gypsum. The chemical formula of plaster of paris is $CaS{O_4}.\frac{1}{2}{H_2}O$ and the chemical formula of gypsum is $CaS{O_4}.2{H_2}O$.