A list of minerals for which you should commit
the chemical formulas to memory. This list was prepared by former
students of the class based on their experiences beyond
Ge114. (Actually, the former students had a list nearly
twice as long as this; I elected to shorten it.) I tell the
instructors of classes which follow Ge114 that they can expect
students from this class to know all of the minerals on the list.
| Elements diamond C graphite C |
Phosphates apatite Ca5(PO4)3(OH,F) |
| Sulfides galena PbS sphalerite ZnS cinnabar HgS pyrite FeS2 chalcopyrite CuFeS2 |
Carbonates calcite CaCO3 aragonite CaCO3 siderite FeCO3 magnesite MgCO3 dolomite CaMg(CO3)2 |
| Oxides corundum Al2O3 hematite Fe2O3 wustite FeO spinel MgAl2O4 magnetite Fe3O4 rutile TiO2 ilmenite FeTiO3 perovskite CaTiO3 |
Sulfates gypsum CaSO4·2H2O anhydrite CaSO4 barite BaSO4 |
| Halides halite NaCl fluorite CaF2 |
Hydroxides goethite FeO(OH) brucite Mg(OH)2 gibbsite Al(OH)3 |
| Garnets grossular Ca3Al2(SiO4)3 almandine Fe3Al2(SiO4)3 pyrope Mg3Al2(SiO4)3 andradite Ca3Fe2(SiO4)3 |
Sheet Silicates talc Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 muscovite KAl2(AlSi3)O10(OH)2 biotite K(Mg,Fe)3(AlSi3)O10(OH)2 serpentine (Mg,Fe)6Si4O10(OH)8 |
| Pyroxenes enstatite Mg2Si2O6 diopside CaMgSi2O6 jadeite NaAlSi2O6 wollastonite Ca2Si2O6 |
Amphiboles actinolite Ca2(Mg,Fe)5Si8O22(OH)2 tremolite Ca2(Mg)5Si8O22(OH)2 |
| Feldspars sanidine KAlSi3O8 orthoclase KAlSi3O8 microcline KAlSi3O8 albite NaAlSi3O8 anorthite CaAl2Si2O8 |
Other Silicates kyanite Al2SiO5 sillimanite Al2SiO5 andalusite Al2SiO5 zircon ZrSiO4 leucite KAlSi2O6 olivine (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 forsterite Mg2SiO4 fayalite Fe2SiO4 |