Magnesium Silicate (Forsterite)
Mg2SiO4
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Chemical name
Magnesium Silicate (Forsterite) |
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Mineral name
Forsterite |
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Chemical formula
Mg2SiO4 |
|
Melting point [°C]
1890 |
|
Crystal system
orhorhombic |
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Crystal Class
orthorhombic-dipyramidal (2/m 2/m 2/m) |
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Space Group
Pbnm |
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Unit cell
a [Å]:4.77 b [Å]:10.28 c [Å]:6.00 |
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Formula units
Z=4 |
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Twinning
On {100}, {011} and {012} |
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Mohs hardness
7 |
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Density [g/cm3]
3.217 |
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Cleavage
good on {001}, clear on {010} |
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Fracture / Tenacity
conchoidal to uneven |
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Color
colorless, grey, white, green, yellowish green to blackish green |
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Streak
white |
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Transparency
transparent to translucent |
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Luster
vitreous |
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Optical character
biaxial (+) |
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Refractive Index
nα=1.635; nβ=1.651; nΥ=1.670 |
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Birefringence δ
0.033 - 0.042 |
