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In geology, macrocrystalline rocks have crystals large enough to easily be identified by sight with the naked eye. Macrocrystalline rocks can be further subdivided into fine-grained, medium-grained, large-grained, and coarse-grained rock, where fine-grained rocks have a grain size of less than 1 mm, medium-grained rocks have a grain size of 1 to 5 mm, large-grained rocks one of 5 to 10 mm, and ...
Quartz. Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO 4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical formula of SiO 2. Quartz is, therefore, classified structurally as a framework silicate mineral ...
Cryptocrystalline. Cryptocrystalline is a rock texture made up of such minute crystals that its crystalline nature is only vaguely revealed even microscopically [1] in thin section by transmitted polarized light. Among the sedimentary rocks, chert and flint are cryptocrystalline. Carbonado, a form of diamond, is also cryptocrystalline.
In the hexagonal family, the crystal is conventionally described by a right rhombic prism unit cell with two equal axes (a by a), an included angle of 120° (γ) and a height (c, which can be different from a) perpendicular to the two base axes. The hexagonal unit cell for the rhombohedral Bravais lattice is the R-centered cell, consisting of ...
Pegmatite. A pegmatite is an igneous rock showing a very coarse texture, with large interlocking crystals usually greater in size than 1 cm (0.4 in) and sometimes greater than 1 meter (3 ft). Most pegmatites are composed of quartz, feldspar, and mica, having a similar silicic composition to granite.
A silicate mineral is generally an inorganic compound consisting of subunits with the formula [SiO 2+n] 2n−. Although depicted as such, the description of silicates as anions is a simplification. Balancing the charges of the silicate anions are metal cations, M x+. Typical cations are Mg 2+, Fe 2+, and Na +.
Learn about quartz vs. quartzite countertops pros and cons from experts, including differences in cost, care, and design possibilities.
Thin sections are prepared in order to investigate the optical properties of the minerals in the rock. This work is a part of petrology and helps to reveal the origin and evolution of the parent rock. A photograph of a rock in thin section is often referred to as a photomicrograph. Thin sections are also used in the microscopic study of bones ...