how do you distinguish carbonate minerals from each other?
NO.NO.NO.Leave it alone,Get someone that Knows what's going on
Use a C-clamp to get the pistons back in the caliper. if you start messing with the brake lever you're going to blow the pistons out of the caliper and end up with a mess. Then you'll be asking how to bleed brakes next. You should watch a youtube informational video showing you how to do replace brake pads on a motorcycle.
The pistons should retract with pressure from a flat tool such as a piece of wood. It is unnecessary, and unwise to remove them. They will retract right back into the bore and allow the pads to fit easily.
I hate to be a Mr. Know-it-all but the poster who said you could distinguish between different types of carbonate by testing effervescence (acid drop test) is for the most part wrong. All carbonate minerals will have at least some effervescence since they all contain the carbonate ion CO_3^2 which will react with acid. I suppose you could compare how much the different samples effervesce, but that would be really tricky and would require a skilled eye. The best way is honestly to just look at it. Most carbonates have very distinct looks and if you spend enough time studying these you will be able to immediately identify most of them. You could also do a streak test, hardness test, test for density, or you could test for fluorescence.
Caclium Carbonate [CaCO3], for example can be distinguished from other minerals by dropping a bit of hydrochloric acid on it's surface. If you see any reaction (e.g. bubbles) then you know it is probably a type of carbonate mineral. This is because carbonates are very basic and so when you add an acid (such as HCL) it reacts and releases carbon dioxide [CO2]. Look up: acid-base reactions if you need more info on this. Hope that helps? Best of luck! Edit: Sorry I read to fast and misinterpreted and thought you meant how to distinguish between carbonates and other minerals and not one carbonate to the next. It is clear Carbonates (below) knows what he is talking about, so just read that. And to the two ignorant cows who thumbed downed every response deserves to be banned from this site, you are NOT HELPING and clearly don't know what you are talking about! I am only an undergraduate geology student and Carbonates obviously has extensive education in this area, just look at his profile! Ok, well sorry for messing everything up and getting pissed off.
