Calcium carbonate is also used in the purification of iron from iron ore in a blast furnace. The carbonate is calcined in situ to give calcium oxide, which forms a slag with various impurities present, and separates from the purified iron.
One re-hydrated package fills about 15-20 dishes. Mix 1 level teaspoon of dehydrated agar with 100 ml (3/8 cup) of water and then bring to a boil to make 100 ml of agar solution. Prepare Petri Dishes: Fill petri dishes to just cover the bottom. Typical 90-100mm dishes require 10-15 ml agar. Rotate the dish to obtain even surface coverage. Cover the dish immediately and let stand until firm. Store upside down in the refrigerator until ready to use.
100 million microbes x 20 mg biomass = 20 billion oral microbes. We know that some species of oral bacteria can double their numbers every 20 minutes under ideal conditions in a Petri dish. In the mouth, though, species have to compete with each other, and conditions are not always as idyllic as in the lab.