Forsterite Mineral Data (original) (raw)

General Forsterite Information

Help on Chemical Formula: Chemical Formula:

Mg2SiO4

Help on Composition: Composition:

Molecular Weight = 140.69 gm

Magnesium 34.55 % Mg 57.29 % MgO

Silicon 19.96 % Si 42.71 % SiO2

Oxygen 45.49 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula:

Mg2(SiO4)

Help on Environment: Environment:

Ultramafic igneous rocks or dolomitic marbles.

Help on IMA Status: IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1824

Help on Locality: Locality:

Mte. Somma, Vesuvius, Italy. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Help on Name Origin: Name Origin:

Named for Johann Forster, German naturalist.

Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation:

Forsterite + Pronunciation Say FORSTERITE

Help on Synonym: Synonym:

Chrysolite

ICSD 9334

Olivine

PDF 34-189

Peridot

Forsterite Image

Click Here for Larger Forsterite Image in a New Browser Window Images:

Forsterite Crystallography

Help on Axial Ratios: Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.4665:1:0.5866

Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions:

a = 4.756, b = 10.195, c = 5.981, Z = 4; V = 290.00 Den(Calc)= 3.22

Help on Crystal System: Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - DipyramidalH-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: Pbnm

Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/Io): 2.458(1), 2.512(0.7), 3.883(0.7),

Help on Forms: Forms:

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Drag2 - Resize
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| | Forms:( 1 0 1) ( 1 0 0) ( 0 1 0) ( 1 1 0) ( 1 1 1) ( 0 0 1) ( 0 1 1) Warning: this large pop-up is very compute intensive and may not work well with some computers. | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

Click Here for Large Forsterite Structure Window Crystal Structure:

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drag1 - LMB Manipulate Structure
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| | Birle J D , Gibbs G V , Moore P B , Smith J V , American Mineralogist , 53 (1968) p.807-824, Crystal structures of natural olivines View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Forsterite [1] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [2] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [3] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [4] [40] [41] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |

Physical Properties of Forsterite

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage:

{001} Good, {010} Distinct

Help on Color: Color:

Colorless, Green, Yellow, Yellow green, White.

Help on Density: Density:

3.21 - 3.33, Average = 3.27

Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Help on Fracture: Fracture:

Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by smoothly curving surfaces, (e.g. quartz).

Help on Habit: Habit:

Crystalline - Fine - Occurs as well-formed fine sized crystals.

Help on Habit: Habit:

Tabular - Form dimensions are thin in one direction.

Help on Hardness: Hardness:

6-7 - Orthoclase-Quartz

Help on Luminescence: Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Help on Luster: Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Help on Magnetism: Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Help on Streak: Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Forsterite

Help on Gladstone-Dale: Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.051 (Good) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.068 (Fair) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2172,KPDmeas= 0.2139,KC= 0.2034
Ncalc = 1.65 - 1.68

Help on Optical Data: Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.636-1.73, b=1.65-1.739, g=1.669-1.772, bire=0.0330-0.0420, 2V(Calc)=56-84, 2V(Meas)=74-90. Dispersion r > v or r < v.

Help on Pleochroism (x): Pleochroism (x):

colorless.

Help on Pleochroism (y): Pleochroism (y):

colorless.

Calculated Properties of Forsterite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.25 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Forsterite =3.27 gm/cc.

Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.04
Boson Index = 0.96

Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric:

PEForsterite = 1.53 barns/electron
U=PEForsterite x rElectron Density= 4.98 barns/cc.

Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity:

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

Forsterite Classification

Help on Dana Class: Dana Class:

51.03.01.02 (51)Nesosilicate Insular SiO4 Groups Only

(51.03)with all cations in octahedral [6] coordination

(51.03.01)Olivine group

51.03.01.00 Olivine* (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 Pbnm 2/m 2/m 2/m

51.03.01.01 Fayalite Fe2SiO4 Pbnm 2/m 2/m 2/m

51.03.01.02 Forsterite Mg2SiO4 Pbnm 2/m 2/m 2/m

51.03.01.03 Liebenbergite (Ni,Mg)2SiO4 Pbnm 2/m 2/m 2/m

51.03.01.04 Tephroite Mn2SiO4 P nma 2/m 2/m 2/m

51.03.01.05 Laihunite FeFe2(SiO4)2 P 21/b 2/m

Help on Strunz Class: Strunz Class:

09.AC.05 09 - SILICATES (Germanates)

09.A - Nesosilicates

09.AC -Nesosilicates without additional anions;

09.AC.05 Forsterite Mg2SiO4 Pbnm 2/m 2/m 2/m

09.AC.05 Glaucochroite CaMnSiO4 Pbnm 2/m 2/m 2/m

09.AC.05 Fayalite Fe2SiO4 Pbnm 2/m 2/m 2/m

09.AC.05 Olivine* (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 Pbnm 2/m 2/m 2/m

09.AC.05 Kirschsteinite CaFeSiO4 Pbmn 2/m 2/m 2/m

09.AC.05 Laihunite FeFe2(SiO4)2 P 21/b 2/m

09.AC.05 Liebenbergite (Ni,Mg)2SiO4 Pbnm 2/m 2/m 2/m

09.AC.05 Tephroite Mn2SiO4 P nma 2/m 2/m 2/m

Other Forsterite Information

Help on See Also: See Also:

Links to other databases for Forsterite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
3 - Athena
4 - CalTech Mineral Spectroscopy
5 - EUROmin Project
6 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
7 - Franklin Minerals(Dunn)
8 - GeoScienceWorld
9 - Glendale Community College
10 - Google Images
11 - Google Scholar
12 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
13 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
14 - HyperPhysics
15 - MinDAT
16 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
17 - Online Mineral Museum
18 - QUT Mineral Atlas
19 - Ruff.Info
20 - University of Colorado - Mineral Structure Data
21 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Ask about Forsterite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
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Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Espa�ol

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

Forsterite

Mg2SiO4
Dana No: 51.03.01.02 Strunz No: 09.AC.05
Locality:

Notes: