Mineralogy Database

Halite Mineral Data

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General Halite Information

Help on Chemical  Formula: Chemical Formula: NaCl
Help on Composition: Composition: Molecular Weight = 58.44 gm
   Sodium    39.34 %  Na   53.03 % Na2O
   Chlorine  60.66 %  Cl   60.66 % Cl
               -   %  Cl  -13.69 % -O=Cl2   
            ______        ______ 
            100.00 %      100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Help on Empirical Formula: Empirical Formula: NaCl
Help on Environment: Environment: Marine or continental evaporite deposits.
Help on IMA Status: IMA Status: Valid Species (Pre-IMA) Prehistoric
Help on Locality: Locality: World wide in sedimentary basins. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Help on Name Origin: Name Origin: From the Greek halos, meaning "salt" and lithos meaning "rock."
Help on Name Pronunciation: Name Pronunciation: Halite Say HALITE
Help on Synonym: Synonym: ICSD 18189
  Murate of Sota
  PDF 5-628
  Rock Salt
  Sodium Chloride
 

Halite Image

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  Halite

Comments: Hoppered pink halite crystals from the evaporation ponds. The pink color is due to the organism Halo bacterium that lives in the concentrated brine.
Location: Searles Lake, Trona, San Bernadino County, California, USA. Scale: Crystal size 2 cm.
© John Veevaert

Halite Crystallography

Help on Cell Dimensions: Cell Dimensions: a = 5.6402, Z = 4; V = 179.43 Den(Calc)= 2.16
Help on Crystal System: Crystal System: Isometric - Hexoctahedral H-M Symbol (4/m 3 2/m) Space Group: F m3m
Help on X Ray Diffraction: X Ray Diffraction: By Intensity(I/Io): 2.821(1), 1.994(0.55), 1.628(0.15),
Help on Forms: Forms:

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Help on Above

Forms: ( 1 0 0)

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Physical Properties of Halite

Help on Cleavage: Cleavage: {100} Perfect, {010} Perfect, {001} Perfect
Help on Color: Color: White, Clear, Light blue, Dark blue, Pink.
Help on Density: Density: 2.17
Help on Diaphaneity: Diaphaneity: Transparent
Help on Fracture: Fracture: Brittle - Generally displayed by glasses and most non-metallic minerals.
Help on Habit: Habit: Crystalline - Coarse - Occurs as well-formed coarse sized crystals.
Help on Habit: Habit: Euhedral Crystals - Occurs as well-formed crystals showing good external form.
Help on Habit: Habit: Granular - Generally occurs as anhedral to subhedral crystals in matrix.
Help on Hardness: Hardness: 2.5 - Finger Nail
Help on Luminescence: Luminescence: Fluorescent, Short UV=red, green (organic inclusions) orange, Long UV=red, green orange.
Help on Luster: Luster: Vitreous (Glassy)
Help on Magnetism: Magnetism: Nonmagnetic
Help on Streak: Streak: white
 

Optical Properties of Halite

Help on Optical Data: Optical Data: Isotropic, n=1.544.
 

Calculated Properties of Halite

Help on Electron Density: Electron Density: Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.07 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Halite =2.16 gm/cc.
Help on Fermion Index: Fermion Index: Fermion Index = 0
Boson Index = 1
Help on Photoelectric: Photoelectric: PEHalite = 4.63 barns/electron
U=PEHalite x rElectron Density= 9.59 barns/cc.
Help on Radioactivity: Radioactivity: GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Halite is Not Radioactive
 

Halite Classification

Help on  Dana Class: Dana Class: 09.01.01.01 (09)Anhydrous and Hydrated Halides
  (09.01)where A X
  (09.01.01)Halite Group
 
09.01.01.01 Halite NaCl F m3m 4/m 3 2/m
 
09.01.01.02 Sylvite KCl F m3m 4/m 3 2/m
 
09.01.01.03 Villiaumite NaF F m3m 4/m 3 2/m
 
09.01.01.04 Carobbiite KF F m3m 4/m 3 2/m
 
09.01.01.05 Griceite LiF F m3m 4/m 3 2/m
Help on  Strunz Class: Strunz Class: 03.AA.20 03 - HALIDES
  03.A - Simple Halides, Without H2O
  03.AA -M:X = 1:1, 2:3, 3:5, etc.
 
03.AA.20 Carobbiite KF F m3m 4/m 3 2/m
 
03.AA.20 Griceite LiF F m3m 4/m 3 2/m
 
03.AA.20 Halite NaCl F m3m 4/m 3 2/m
 
03.AA.20 Sylvite KCl F m3m 4/m 3 2/m
 
03.AA.20 Villiaumite NaF F m3m 4/m 3 2/m
 

Other Halite Information

Help on References: References: NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)
Help on See Also: See Also: Links to other databases for Halite :
1 - Alkali-Nuts(English)
2 - Alkali-Nuts(Francais)
3 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
4 - Amethyst Galleries' Mineral Gallery
5 - Athena
6 - CalTech Mineral Spectroscopy
7 - EUROmin Project
8 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
9 - GeoScienceWorld
10 - Glendale Community College
11 - Google Images
12 - Google Scholar
13 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
14 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
15 - HyperPhysics
16 - MinDAT
17 - Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom
18 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
19 - Online Mineral Museum
20 - Philatelic Mineralogy
21 - QUT Mineral Atlas
22 - Ruff.Info
23 - WWW-MINCRYST

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

Halite

NaCl
Dana No: 09.01.01.01 Strunz No: 03.AA.20
Locality:

 

Notes:

 

 
   
 


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