Mineralogy Database

Witherite Mineral Data

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General Witherite Information

Help on Chemical Formula: Chemical Formula: BaCO3
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 197.34 gm
   Barium  69.59 %  Ba   77.70 % BaO
   Carbon   6.09 %  C    22.30 % CO2
   Oxygen  24.32 %  O
          ______        ______ 
          100.00 %      100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: Ba(CO3)
Help on Environment: Environment: Low-temperature hydrothermal veins.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1790
Help on Locality: Locality: Alston Moor, Cumberland, England. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: Named after William Withering (1741-1799). English physician and mineralogist.
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Witherite + Pronunciation Say WITHERITE
Help on Synonym: Synonym: ICSD 15196
  PDF 45-1471
 

Witherite Image

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  Witherite

Comments: Specimen of witherite with a rounded (stellate) habit. The lower picture was taken under SW UV light and shows the crystalline aggregates.
Location: Minerva #1 Mine, Hardin County, Illinois, USA. Scale: 5.2 x 4.5 cm.
© John Veevaert

Witherite Crystallography
Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios: a:b:c =0.5966:1:0.7221
Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 5.313, b = 8.904, c = 6.43, Z = 4; V = 304.18 Den(Calc)= 4.31
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Orthorhombic - Dipyramidal H-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: Pmcn
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 3.72(1), 3.68(0.53), 2.15(0.28),
Help on Forms: Forms:

Mouse
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Drag1 - Manipulate Crystal
Drag2 - Resize
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I - Indicies
<space> - Start-Stop Rotation
F - Fit to Screen
M - Menu
Help on Above

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

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Physical Properties of Witherite

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: {010} Distinct
Help on Color: Color: Colorless, Milky white, Grayish white, Pale yellowish white, Pale brownish white.
Help on Density: Density: 4.3
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Subtransparent to translucent
Help on Fracture: Fracture: Sub Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by semi-curving surfaces.
Help on Habit: Habit: Columnar - Forms columns
Help on Habit: Habit: Pseudo Hexagonal - Crystals show a hexagonal outline.
Help on Habit: Habit: Reniform - "Kidney like" in shape (e.g.. hematite).
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 3-3.5 - Calcite-Copper Penny
Help on Luminescence: Luminescence: Fluorescent and phosphorescent, Short UV=bluish white, Long UV=bluish white.
Help on Luster: Luster: Vitreous (Glassy)
Help on Streak: Streak: white
 

Optical Properties of Witherite

Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale: CI meas= 0.004 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.007 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1456,KPDmeas= 0.1459,KC= 0.1465
Ncalc = 1.63
Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Biaxial (-), a=1.529, b=1.676, g=1.677, bire=0.1480, 2V(Calc)=8, 2V(Meas)=16. Dispersion relatively weak.
 

Calculated Properties of Witherite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.75 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Witherite =4.30 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0.12
Boson Index = 0.88
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PEWitherite = 320.10 barns/electron
U=PEWitherite x rElectron Density=1,199.72 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity: GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Witherite is Not Radioactive
 

Witherite Classification
Help on Dana Class: Dana Class: 14.01.03.02 (14)Anhydrous Carbonates
  (14.01)with Simple Formula A+ CO3
  (14.01.03)Aragonite Group (Orthorhombic: Pmcn)
 
14.01.03.01 Aragonite CaCO3 Pmcn 2/m 2/m 2/m
 
14.01.03.02 Witherite BaCO3 Pmcn 2/m 2/m 2/m
 
14.01.03.03 Strontianite SrCO3 Pmcn 2/m 2/m 2/m
 
14.01.03.04 Cerussite PbCO3 Pmcn 2/m 2/m 2/m
Help on Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 05.AB.15 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)
  05.A - Carbonates without additional anions, without H2O
  05.AB -Alkali-earth (and other M2+) carbonates
 
05.AB.15 Cerussite PbCO3 Pmcn 2/m 2/m 2/m
 
05.AB.15 Aragonite CaCO3 Pmcn 2/m 2/m 2/m
 
05.AB.15 Strontianite SrCO3 Pmcn 2/m 2/m 2/m
 
05.AB.15 Witherite BaCO3 Pmcn 2/m 2/m 2/m
 

Other Witherite Information
Help on References: References: NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Mason68)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Witherite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - EUROmin Project
5 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
6 - GeoScienceWorld
7 - Google Images
8 - Google Scholar
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
10 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
11 - HyperPhysics
12 - MinDAT
13 - Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom
14 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
15 - Online Mineral Museum
16 - QUT Mineral Atlas
17 - Ruff.Info
18 - University of Colorado - Mineral Structure Data
19 - WWW-MINCRYST

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

Witherite

BaCO3
Dana No: 14.01.03.02 Strunz No: 05.AB.15
Locality:

 

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