Sources
open directory project
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
Forsterite
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Forsterite | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| General | |
| Category | Mineral |
| Chemical formula | Magnesium silicate (Mg2SiO4) |
| Identification | |
| Color | Green to yellow |
| Crystal system | Orthorhombic |
| Cleavage | {010}, {100} - imperfect |
| Fracture | Conchoidal |
| Mohs Scale hardness | 7 |
| Luster | Vitreous |
| Refractive index | α = 1.635, β = 1.651, γ = 1.670 |
| Specific gravity | 3.222 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Forsterite (Mg2SiO4) is the magnesium rich end-member of the olivine solid-solution series. Forsterite crystallizes in the orthorhombic system (space group Pbnm) with cell parameters a 4.75 Å, b 10.20 Å and c Å 5.98.
Forsterite is associated with igneous rocks and has also been found in some iron meteorites. In 2005 it was also found in cometary dust returned by the Stardust probe. It is named after German naturalist Johann Forster.
The gemstone variety of forsterite is known as peridot.
Forsterite reacts with quartz to form the orthopyroxene mineral enstatite in the following reaction:
Mg2SiO4 + SiO2 → 2MgSiO3.
- Deer, W. A., Howie, R. A., and Zussman, J. (1992). An introduction to the rock-forming minerals (2nd ed.). Harlow: Longman ISBN 0-582-30094-0
- Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
 |
This article about a specific mineral, mineraloid, or rock type is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |