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What is it and where is it formed? Talc is
a mineral that is found in
igneous and
metamorphic rocks.
Sometimes it is called soapstone and is a kind of
Mica. It forms when
rocks with magnesium in them are changed by
erosion or
weathering with heat and water. |
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How and where is it mined? Talc is mined
using
open-pit surface mining. Talc mines are planned well
before they are mined so that there will be a constant supply of
the kind or talc that people want to buy. Mine owners take the
ore out so that the land is protected and they still end up with
sellable ore. After it is mined, it is sorted into
different grades according to size and quality. After that,
talc is ground up and sold. How it is used depends on how it is
found—in large chunks, small chunks, or softer kinds. Click here for more
detailed mining information. Talc is mined all over the world. Some examples are: The
United States [California, Texas], Germany, Austria, South
Africa, and Scotland. |
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What is it used for? Talc is used for
electrical and scientific products because it resists heat,
electricity, and acid. It is used in paints, rubber,
insecticides, talcum powder, and paper. |
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Mineral Characteristic |
What the
mineralogists say |
Kid's Guide: What it REALLY
means! |
| Chemical Symbol |
H4Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 |
It
has oxygen, silicon, magnesium, and hydrogen in it. |
| Color |
Colorless, white, pale green, or brown |
These are the usual colors of the stone. |
| Streak |
White |
If
you ground up a piece of talc, it would crush into white
dust. |
| Transparency |
Translucent crystals, opaque masses |
If
you look through a crystal of talc, it would look
blurry. Big pieces of talc cannot be seen through at
all. |
| Luster |
Silky, waxy, pearly |
If
you shine a light on talc, it will have a little
reflection that will make it look silky or have a glow
like pearls have. It might have a waxy shine like
candles. |
| Cleavage |
Perfect |
It
will break smoothly along the same lines no matter how
many times you break it. |
| Fracture |
Uneven |
When
it is shattered, the pieces are uneven. |
| Magnetism |
None |
It
will not attract, or be attracted to, a magnet. |
| Hardness |
1 |
It
is very soft. You can scratch into it with a
fingernail. |
| Specific gravity |
2.7
– 2.8 |
Talc
has about an average weight. If you picked it up, it
would not appear to be heavy or light for its size. |
| Crystal Shape |
Monoclinic |
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Links:
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Citations:
Pellant, Chris.
Rocks and Minerals.
New York: Dorling
Kindersley, 1992.
“Talc.”
22 Nov. 2005.
<http://www.webmineral.com/data/Talc.shtml>.
“Talc.”
22 Nov. 2005.
<http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/silicate/talc/talc.htm>.
Zim, Herbert S.
Rocks and minerals: a guide to familiar minerals, gems, ores and rocks.
New York: Golden Press, 1957.
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