Do I need to cite a chemical formula? I want to include the chemical change that occurs when calcium carbonate is heated within the background section of the thesis I'm writing. I've seen it included in other's work on the topic, but I don't see any formal citations of the formula. Do I need to cite it or is it more akin to general knowledge? If I do need to cite it, where would be a good place to do that from?
This reaction was discovered at the dawn of the modern chemical age (by Joseph Black, in the late 18th century), and is frequently documented in basic chemistry textbooks. This puts it into the realm of general knowledge; you don't need to cite it.