 Calcite is pure calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It is found in limestone and marble. It is the cementing agent that binds sediments together into sedimentary rocks. Marble is metamorphosed (changed by heat and pressure) limestone. The crystals formed from pure calcite are in the form of a perfect rhomboid. A rhomboid is a six-sided solid object in which the opposite sides are parallel. It has perfect cleavage in three directions. If you hit calcite with a hammer it will break into smaller but perfectly shaped rhomboids. Calcite is number two on Mohs hardness scale. Calcite is the material that forms stalactites and stalagmites in caves.
Calcite is used as a fertilizer, cement, chalk, building stone, and for the manufacture of optical instruments.
Click on the "Next" button to learn about the softest mineral on Mohs hardness scale.
|
Back
Beginning
Questions
Next
To VolcanoWorld