what is the density of biotite

What is the specific gravity of biotite?

Calculated Properties of Biotite. Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.07 gm/cc note: Specific Gravity of Biotite =3.10 gm/cc.

What is the size of biotite plate?

Comments: Sharp hexagonal plates of dark brown biotite to 2.5 cm. across, with white albite. Location: Brazil. Scale: 6.9x5.5x3 cm. Comments: Fibrous mass of anthophyllite as a shell around biotite.

What is a biotite mineral?

Biotite Minerals. As noted above, biotite is a name used for a number of black mica minerals that have different chemical compositions but very similar physical properties. These minerals generally cannot be distinguished from one another without laboratory analysis.

What is the density of minerals?

The density of a mineral is the ratio of its mass to its volume. It is a measure of how much “stuff” is squeezed into the amount of space the mineral occupies. Objective: Students will measure and compare the densities of minerals.

What is the physical properties of biotite?

Physical Properties of BiotiteChemical ClassificationDark micaMohs Hardness2.5 to 3Specific Gravity2.7 to 3.4Diagnostic PropertiesDark color, perfect cleavage8 more rows

Is biotite heavy?

The density is highly variable: 2.7-3.3 g/cm3. Iron-rich member annite is the heaviest. Biotite is in most cases not difficult to identify. It is micaceous (composed of cleavable sheets).

What is the gravity of biotite?

Biotite is a soft mineral. Its hardness is 2.5 to 3. Its specific gravity is 2.7 to 3.1.

What mineral is biotite?

black micabiotite, also called black mica, a silicate mineral in the common mica group. It is abundant in metamorphic rocks (both regional and contact), in pegmatites, and also in granites and other intrusive igneous rocks. For chemical formula and detailed physical properties, see mica (table).

What is the value of biotite?

Petrographic Data FileBiotitePropertyValuePhysical PropertiesH = 2.5 - 3 G = 2.7 - 3.3 The color of biotite in hand sample is brown to black (sometimes greenish). Its streak is white or gray, and it has a vitreous luster.Cleavage(001) perfectColor/PleochroismTypically brown, brownish green or reddish brown15 more rows

What is biotite made of?

Biotite is a sheet silicate with a hardness of 2.5-3 on the Mohs scale and a specific gravity of 2.7-3.1. It consists of flexible sheets, or lamellae, that easily flake off. The sheets are made of iron magnesium aluminum silicate and are weakly held together by potassium ions.

How is biotite different from mica?

The mica minerals have one perfect cleavage that allows them to be broken into very thin sheets. This is very distinctive. Muscovite is clear, silvery, or coppery silver in color (depending on the thickness of the sample and presence of impurities) whereas fresh biotite is black.

What is the description of biotite?

Definition of biotite : a generally black or dark green form of mica that is a constituent of crystalline rocks and consists of a silicate of iron, magnesium, potassium, and aluminum.

What is the density of calcite?

around 2.6 to 3.0 g/cm3Most of the major rock-forming minerals in the Earth's crust, like quartz, feldspar, and calcite, have very similar densities (around 2.6 to 3.0 g/cm3)....Mineral Densities.MineralDensityCalcite2.71Chlorite2.6–3.3Copper8.9Feldspar2.55–2.7619 more rows•Jan 22, 2020

Where is biotite found in the world?

Biotite occurs in the lava of Mount Vesuvius, at Monzoni, and many other European locations. In the United States, it is found in the pegmatites of New England, Virginia and North Carolina, as well as in the granite of Pikes Peak, Colorado. Biotite was named in honor of the French physicist Jean Baptiste Biot.

What is biotite mineral?

As noted above, biotite is a name used for a number of black mica minerals that have different chemical compositions but very similar physical properties. These minerals generally cannot be distinguished from one another without laboratory analysis.

How to identify biotite?

It is a black mica with perfect cleavage and a vitreous luster on the cleavage faces. When biotite is separated into thin sheets, the sheets are flexible but will break upon severe bending.

What is biotite in rocks?

Biotite is a name used for a large group of black mica minerals that are commonly found in igneous and metamorphic rocks . These include annite, phlogopite, siderophyllite, fluorophlogopite, fluorannite, eastonite, and many others. These micas vary in chemical composition but are all sheet silicate minerals with very similar physical properties.

What color are biotite sheets?

When held up to the light, the sheets are transparent to translucent with a brown, gray, or greenish color. Experienced observers can sometimes recognize phlogopite by its brown color.

Biotite Image

Comments: Brown book of pseudohexagonal biotite crystals in matrix. Location: Sattleberg, Laacher See, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Scale: Size Not Given. © Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Calculated Properties of Biotite

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.07 gm/cc note: Specific Gravity of Biotite =3.10 gm/cc.

Other Biotite Information

See Also: Links to other databases for Biotite : 1 - Alkali-Nuts (English) 2 - Alkali-Nuts (Francais) 3 - Am. Min.

What color is biotite?

In thin section, biotite exhibits moderate relief and a pale to deep greenish brown or brown color, with moderate to strong pleochroism. Biotite has a high birefringence which can be partially masked by its deep intrinsic color. Under cross-polarized light, biotite exhibits extinction approximately parallel to cleavage lines, and can have characteristic bird's eye maple extinction, a mottled appearance caused by the distortion of the mineral's flexible lamellae during grinding of the thin section. Basal sections of biotite in thin section are typically approximately hexagonal in shape and usually appear isotropic under cross-polarized light.

Where does biotite occur?

For instance, biotite occurs in the lava of Mount Vesuvius and in the Monzoni intrusive complex of the western Dolomites. Biotite in granite tends to be poorer in magnesium than the biotite found in its volcanic equivalent, rhyolite. Biotite is an essential phenocryst in some varieties of lamprophyre.

What is biotite mica?

The term biotite is still used to describe unanalysed dark micas in the field. Biotite was named by J.F.L. Hausmann in 1847 in honor of the French physicist Jean-Baptiste Biot, who performed early research into the many optical properties of mica. Members of the biotite group are sheet silicates.

Why is biotite used in rock dating?

Because argon escapes readily from the biotite crystal structure at high temperatures, these methods may provide only minimum ages for many rocks. Biotite is also useful in assessing temperature histories of metamorphic rocks, because the partitioning of iron and magnesium between biotite and garnet is sensitive to temperature.

Why are biotite crystals called books?

When biotite crystals are found in large chunks, they are called "books" because they resemble books with pages of many sheets. The color of biotite is usually black and the mineral has a hardness of 2.5–3 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness .

Is biotite a hexagonal or isotropic?

Basal sections of biotite in thin section are typically approximately hexagonal in shape and usually appear isotropic under cross-polarized light. Biotite (in brown) and muscovite in an orthogneiss thin section under plane-polarized light. Biotite in thin section under cross-polarized light.

What is biotite in rocks?

It has different roles in these rocks, though. It acts as the primary iron-bearing phase in many granitic rocks and as a hydrated potassium-bearing mineral in mafic rocks. Biotite is present in both silica under- and oversaturated rocks. Biotite, because it is the host of relatively uncommon chemical elements in a given magma, is a very common ingredient of pegmatites which crystallize from late-magmatic fluids. Large “books” are a common sight in pegmatitic rocks. Biotite in felsic rocks tends to be Fe-rich.

Why is biotite less common in sedimentary rocks?

It is much less common in sediments and sedimentary rocks because it yields to clay minerals in the weathering environment. Biotite is one of the two most common members of the mica group. The other one is muscovite.

What are the end members of the biotite group?

End-members such as phlogopite, annite and siderophyllite all belong to the group. It is a common practice to distinguish between biotite and phlogopite like these two are mutually exclusive minerals with different compositions. This is no longer true.

Why is biotite abundant in intrusive rocks but usually resorbed in volcanic rocks?

The reason why biotite is abundant in intrusive but usually resorbed in volcanic rocks is that it is not a stable phase in magma at lower pressures. In metamorphic rocks too, biotite is present in a wide variety of rocks which formed under various temperature and pressure conditions.

How does biotite form?

Biotite in the majority of cases forms when clay-rich sedimentary rocks are buried deep enough for the clay minerals to metamorphose to it. Biotite also forms in impure metamorphosed carbonate rocks and in metabasic rocks.

Where does biotite occur?

Biotite also occurs in skarns which are contact-metasomatized rocks which form when silicate magma reacts with carbonate rocks. Biotite in clastic sediments is a common mineral when biotite-bearing rocks are exposed nearby.

Which mineral has the best basal cleavage?

Properties and identification. The most characteristic property of these minerals is the perfect basal cleavage: Mica minerals have perfect basal cleavage which makes it easy to separate them into many thin folia. Biotite (on the left) and muscovite are the most widespread micas.

What is the chemical formula for biotite?

Biotite is the most common mica mineral and also known as black mica, a silicate mineral in the common mica group. Approximate chemical formula K (Mg, Fe). It can be found in massive crystal layers weighing several hundred pounds. It is abundant in metamorphic rocks (both regional and contact), pegmatites, ...

Where is biotite found?

Biotite is found in a wide variety of magmatic and metamorphic rocks. It is common in various magmatic and metamorphic rocks. In igneous rocks, more commonly in silicic and alkaline rocks, e.g. granites, diorite s, gabbros and peridotites.

Why is biotite used in metamorphic rocks?

Biotite is also useful for evaluating the temperature histories of metamorphic rocks, because the division of iron and magnesium between biotite and garnet is temperature sensitive.

What is biotite in shingers?

It is a fundamental component of many metamorphic shingers and form s in suitable compositions in a wide range of pressure and temperature. Biotite is estimated to be up to 7% of the exposed continental crust.

What is biotite used for?

The modified biotite, produced by hydrothermal or abrasion processes, produces vermiculite, a porous material used as an insulating material in gypsum wall panels and other heat insulation applications.

Why is biotite used in soil?

Biotite is commonly used to limit the age of rocks through potassium-argon escort or argon-argon escort.

Is biotite a mineral?

It is abundant in metamorphic rocks (both regional and contact), pegmatites, and also in granites and other invasive magmatic rocks. Biotite usually occurs in brown to black, dark green variety. It is a name used for a range of black mica minerals with different chemical compositions but with very similar physical properties.

What is the density of a rock relative to the density of water?

This isn't as complex as you may think because water's density is 1 gram per cubic centimeter or 1 g/cm 3.

What is the density of gold?

Densities of Common Rocks and Minerals. One of the heavier minerals, gold has a density of 19.32. John Cancalosi/Photolibrary/Getty Images. Andrew Alden is a geologist based in Oakland, California. He works as a research guide for the U.S. Geological Survey. Density is a measure of the mass of a substance per unit measure.

What is the porosity of sandstone?

On the other end of the spectrum is sandstone, with its large, individual sand grains. Its porosity can reach 10 percent to 35 percent.

Which type of rock is more dense, granite or quartz?

Rock density is very sensitive to the minerals that compose a particular rock type. Sedimentary rocks (and granite), which are rich in quartz and feldspar, tend to be less dense than volcanic rocks.