Multiple choice

An electric kettle used for boiling hard water has a white scale deposited on its heating element. This scale consists of

  1. sugar

  2. common salt

  3. carbonates of calcium and magnesium

  4. sodium carbonate

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Hard water contains dissolved minerals, specifically calcium and magnesium salts. When heated, these minerals precipitate as carbonates, forming the white scale known as limescale.