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What is it and where is it formed? Sphalerite is a
zinc ore that is found in
sedimentary,
igneous,
and metamorphic rock. It is formed in
veins that have had heat
or hot water flowing through it. |
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How and where is it mined? It is mined
using
underground mining. Sphalerite is mined in Mexico,
Australia, Italy, Spain, Burma, Morocco, Germany, and The United
States [Franklin, N.J., Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma,
and Tennessee]. |
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What is it used for? It is mined because
you can get zinc from it. Zinc is used to make rubber,
medicines, chemicals, and paints. |
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Some sphalerite is
fluorescent.
It glows when
a blacklight shines on it. |
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Mineral Characteristic |
What the
mineralogists say |
Kid's Guide: What it REALLY
means! |
| Chemical Symbol |
(Zn,
Fe)S |
It
has zinc, sulfur, and iron in it. |
| Color |
Black, brown, yellow, red, green, or white. |
Sphalerite is usually black. |
| Streak |
White |
If
you crush this ore, its dust would be white. |
| Transparency |
Transparent to translucent |
You
might see through it clearly or the crystal might be
blurry to see through. |
| Luster |
Adamantine |
It
shines like a diamond. |
| Cleavage |
Perfect |
If
you crack sphalerite, it will split evenly in six
directions every time that you do it. |
| Fracture |
Conchoidal |
If
it is shattered, the pieces will be smooth. |
| Magnetism |
None |
It
will not attract, or be attracted to, a magnet. |
| Hardness |
3.5
- 4 |
It
is average in hardness. It can be scratched by a steel
nail. |
| Specific gravity |
4 |
It
is light in weight. |
| Crystal Shape |
Cubic |
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Zinc + sulfur = sphalerite. |
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Links:
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Citations:
Fuller, Sue. Rocks
& Minerals. London: Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
“Mineral Sphalerite.” 24 Oct. 2005. <http://www.minerals-n-more.com/Sphalerite_Info.html>.
“Sphalerite.” 3 Nov. 2005. Answers.Com. <http://www.answers.com/sphalerite>.
“Sphalerite.” 21 Jan. 2006.
Wikipedia. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphalerite>.
"Sphalerite." Peterson Field Guide to Rocks and
Minerals. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998. Answers.com 22 Feb.
2006. <http://www.answers.com/topic/sphalerite>.
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