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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Hello, Milum...
This wind is from the Old Dominion, Virginia. I enjoyed reading your dirt, but was dumb as dirt understanding it. A Wind is, but knows not from whence it comes.
For example, when you wrote, "Mammoth Wallow Hole" theory and the "Exploding Comet", all I could see was some prehistoric beast doing a cannonball into the Tar Pits...
But back to basics: Which is the heaviest of the minerals? And the lightest? I think talc is the softest on the mohs scale and diamond, the hardest.
WordWacker
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old hand
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old hand
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> Which is the heaviest of the minerals? And the lightest?
Great question dubdub!
I don't know if it's THE lightest (or, more correctly, that with the lowest specific gravity) but Evenkite would have to be right in there with a chance. It's SG of 0.87 (ie 0.87 grams per cubic centimetre) puts it in a class of its own in comparison to its nearest competitor (that I'm aware of) Sassolite (SG 1.45).
Evenkite is a rare mineral found only in the drainage area of the Tunguska River (former USSR) and at a couple of places in Czechoslovakia. It's a mixture of carbon and hydrogen (formula C24H50).
Mercury (the only liquid mineral at standard temperature and pressure) has the highest SG. At 13.6, it is also in a class of its own, the nearest competitor (Hessite - a silver telluride) has an SG of 8.4.
stales
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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
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Dear Stales: I was surprised by your statement that Mercury had the highest specific gravity: 13.6 I found a site about minerals that says Gold has a specific gravity of 19.3 http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/elements/gold/gold.htm
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Carpal Tunnel
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Without stopping to LIU, I believe that osmium is the densest of the elements, and that each of its closely-akin elements is also more dense than gold.
As to the lightest mineral: stales, your post would indicate that only one mineral will float in water -- correct? I believe pumice also floats, albeit for a different reason (trapped air).
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Carpal Tunnel
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How exciting! A triple heavyweight championship fight! In this corner, weighing in at 13.6 specific gravity, we have Mercury; in the opposite corner we have Gold, at 19.3; and, standing in between, we have Osmium at an indetermined weight, but he don't care! He's champing at the bit to knock ol' Feathershoes and Gildedlegs down!
The heavyweight championship prize? An evening out with cute little Evenkite, the airhead, who spends her time sunbathing on the shores of the Tunguska.
Bets regards,
WordWeight
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Dear Keiva: to document correctness of your reply:
Osmium discovered in 1804. Bluish white in colour. Specific gravity over
21. The heaviest metal known. Associated with Iridium in alloys. ...
http://www.nandesign.com/metals.htm
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Carpal Tunnel
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Edit, after LIU:: gold is well below the most dense element, but the sources conflict slightly on the details: http://www.science.co.il/PTelements.asp?s=Density ranks osmium as the densest element, closely followed by related elements iridium, platinum and rhenium. Gold is 8th (or 6th if the trans-uranium elements are excluded), slightly behind tungsten (a/k/a wolfram). Another source places iridium slighly above osmium, and places gold slightly above tungsten. http://www.webelements.com/webelements/elements/text/Os/phys.html (see graphic, click to adjust it to "shaded table" format, and then scan cursor over it for pop-ups)
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Carpal Tunnel
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For a fascinating look at Javanese volcanic sulphur mining in the new Smithsonian magazine click this link, and then click on Fire and Brimstone in the table of contents. There's also a great story for the paleontologically inclined, Whales on Mountains, about a fossil expedition to the Andes. The finds documented here help validate the theory that the Andes were among the fastest growing mountains in the world. These are, however, abstracts and not the full texts, but well worth a look anyway. http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/toccurrent.shtml
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old hand
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We need to differentiate between elements, minerals and rocks - otherwise comparing SG's becomes an apples and pears exercise.
Gold and osmium are both elements - ie they only consist of one chemical entity each. Gold is also regarded as a mineral however - belonging to the 'Native Element' class of most classification systems. I don't think Osmium is found on its own in nature - it is found in platinum ores and as part of the mineral now known as "Iridium" - which has an SG between 19.3 and 21.1, depending upon its composition. Iridium - the mineral - actually consists of several elements combined to a greater or lesser extent but with Iridium - the element - dominant. Either way, Mercury is not the heaviest mineral and I apologise for taking y'all on that voyage up the garden path.
Evenkite would float on water (because its SG is less than water's 1.0) - but I believe it dissolves readily, so this will have to remain as a thought experiment.
Pumice does float on water but, as you surmised, this is due to its physical structure. Furthermore, it is a rock type - rocks being made up of two or more minerals - though technically one could call a lump of talc (frinstance) "talc rock". Minerals are made up of one or more elements.
stales
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Many thanks, Stales, for the clarification thus far. I've enjoyed the voyage up the garden path, and, being one who rarely sees the forrest for the trees, I didn't see the path for the rocks on it--or minerals in it...trying to be a passing student here.
So: Is gold, then, the heaviest mineral? Or is it Iridium (outweighing gold), even though Iridium pals up with other minerals? (I'm not trying to be dense as Iridium here.) And Evenkite is the lightest? If anything, it's been fun having my consciousness raised at least to recognizing what SG means, should I read it again, and understanding its meaning.
Heh! What's the Rock of Gibraltar composed of??? And the Blarney Stone??? I'll come back tomorrow and post a link to a terrific rock study that's going on in New York. Very impressive work they're getting out of those New Yorkers.
Best regards,
DubDub
P.S. Mebbe somebody could waterproof Evenkite with a substance that has an SG less than 1.0. You never know when there may be a need for floating Evenkite. Or change its physical structure so it'll float. Alert scientific minds can see though to future applications.... Evenkite Jet Skiis... used for strictly scientific research.
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