Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Forsterite
| Forsterite | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Category | Mineral |
| Chemical formula | Magnesium silicate (Mg2SiO4) |
| Identification | |
| Colour | 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 |
Forsterite (Mg2SiO4) is the magnesium rich end-member of the olivine solid-solution series. Forsterite crystalises in the orthorhombic system (space group Pbnm) with cell paramiters a 4.75 Å, b 10.20 Å and c Å 5.98.
References
- 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
10-26-2009 08:16:03
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The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details