Calcite Mineral Data

General Calcite Information

Chemical Formula:

CaCO3

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 100.09 gm

Calcium 40.04 % Ca 56.03 % CaO

Carbon 12.00 % C 43.97 % CO₂

Oxygen 47.96 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

(CO₃)

Environment:

Found in sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1845

Locality:

Common world wide. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From the Latin, calx, meaning lime.

Name Pronunciation:

Calcite

Synonym:

Glendonite - pseudomorph

ICSD 73446

Manganocalcite - variety

Nicols

PDF 5-586

Parakutnohorite - intermediate composition between calcite and rhodochrosite

Travertine

Calcite Image

Images:

Quartz Calcite

Comments: Purple-colored druse of amethystine quartz and white calcite.
Location: Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Scale: Sample size 20 cm.
© Dave Barthelmy

Images:

Beryl Calcite

Comments: Transparent emerald, the green variety of beryl on calcite (marble) matrix.
Location: Coscuez, Boyacá, Colombia. Scale: 2.5 x 2.5 cm.
© Fabre Minerals

Images:

Calcite

Comments: White, divergent calcite scalenohedral crystals.
Location: Santa Eulalia, Chihuahua, S.A., Mexico. Scale: 8 cm.
© Dave Barthelmy

Images:

Calcite

Comments: Cream-colored crystalline aggregate of calcite crystals.
Location: Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Scale: 20 cm.
© Dave Barthelmy

Calcite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:3.41992

Cell Dimensions:

a = 4.989, c = 17.062, Z = 6; V = 367.78 Den(Calc)= 2.71

Crystal System:

Trigonal - Hexagonal Scalenohedral H-M Symbol (3 2/m) Space Group: R 3c

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.035(1), 2.095(0.18), 2.285(0.18),

Forms:

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Forms: ( 2 1 1) ( 0 1 1)

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Physical Properties of Calcite

Cleavage:

{1011} Perfect, {1011} Perfect, {1011} Perfect

Color:

Colorless, White, Pink, Yellow, Brown.

Density:

2.71

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to translucent to opaque

Fracture:

Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.

Habit:

Crystalline - Coarse - Occurs as well-formed coarse sized crystals.

Habit:

Massive - Uniformly indistinguishable crystals forming large masses.

Habit:

Stalactitic - Shaped like pendant columns as stalactites or stalagmites (e.g. calcite).

Hardness:

3 - Calcite

Luminescence:

Fluorescent and phosphorescent, Short UV=yellow, blue, red green, Long UV=yellow, blue, red green.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Calcite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.004 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.004 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2096,KPDmeas= 0.2096,KC= 0.2104
Ncalc = 1.57

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.486, w=1.64-1.66, bire=0.1540-0.1740.

Calculated Properties of Calcite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.71 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Calcite =2.71 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0020908312
Boson Index = 0.9979091688

Photoelectric:

PE_Calcite= 5.06 barns/electron
U=PE_Calcite x rElectron Density= 13.70 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Calcite is Not Radioactive

Calcite Classification

Dana Class:

14.01.01.01 (14)Anhydrous Carbonates

(14.01)with Simple Formula A+ CO3

(14.01.01)Calcite Group (Trigonal: R-3c)

14.01.01.01 Calcite CaCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

14.01.01.02 Magnesite MgCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

14.01.01.03 Siderite FeCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

14.01.01.04 Rhodochrosite MnCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

14.01.01.05 Sphaerocobaltite CoCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

14.01.01.06 Smithsonite ZnCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

14.01.01.07 Otavite CdCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

14.01.01.08 Gaspeite (Ni,Mg,Fe)CO3 R 3c 3 2/m

Strunz Class:

05.AB.05 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)

05.A - Carbonates without additional anions, without H2O

05.AB -Alkali-earth (and other M2+) carbonates

05.AB.05 Calcite CaCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

05.AB.05 Gaspeite (Ni,Mg,Fe)CO3 R 3c 3 2/m

05.AB.05 Magnesite MgCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

05.AB.05 Rhodochrosite MnCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

05.AB.05 Otavite CdCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

05.AB.05 Sphaerocobaltite CoCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

05.AB.05 Siderite FeCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

05.AB.05 Smithsonite ZnCO3 R 3c 3 2/m

Other Calcite Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Calcite Specimen Label here :

Calcite

CaCO3
Dana No: 14.01.01.01 Strunz No: 05.AB.05
Locality:

Notes:

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