Feldspar Distinctions, Characteristics Identification

Feldspar Distinctions, Characteristics Identification Feldspars are a group of closely related minerals that together are the most abundant mineral in the Earths crust. A thorough knowledge of the feldspars is what separates geologists from the rest of us. How to Tell Feldspar Feldspars are hard minerals, all of them with a hardness of 6 on the Mohs scale. This lies between the hardness of a steel knife (5.5) and the hardness of quartz (7). In fact, feldspar is the standard for hardness 6 in the Mohs scale. Feldspars usually are white or nearly white, though they may be clear or light shades of orange or buff. They usually have a glassy luster. Feldspar is called a rock-forming mineral, very common, and usually makes up a large part of the rock. In sum, any glassy mineral thats slightly softer than quartz is very likely considered a feldspar. The main mineral that might be confused with feldspar is quartz. Besides hardness, the biggest difference is how the two minerals break. Quartz breaks in curvy and irregular shapes (conchoidal fracture). Feldspar, however, breaks readily along flat faces, a property called cleavage. As you turn a piece of rock in the light, quartz glitters and feldspar flashes. Other differences: quartz is usually clear and feldspar is usually cloudy. Quartz appears in crystals more commonly than feldspar, and the six-sided spears of quartz are very different from the generally blocky crystals of feldspar. What Kind of Feldspar? For general purposes, like picking granite for a countertop, it doesnt matter what type of feldspar is in a rock. For geological purposes, feldspars are quite important. For rockhounds without laboratories, its enough to be able to tell the two main types of feldspar, plagioclase (PLADGE-yo-clays) feldspar and alkali feldspar. The one thing about plagioclase thats usually different is that its broken faces- its cleavage planes- almost always have fine parallel lines across them. These striations are signs of crystal twinning. Each plagioclase grain, in reality, is typically a stack of thin crystals, each with its molecules arranged in opposite directions. Plagioclase has a color range from white to dark gray, and its typically translucent. Alkali feldspar (also called potassium feldspar or K-feldspar) has a color range from white to brick-red, and its typically opaque. Many rocks have both feldspars, like granite. Cases like that are helpful for learning to tell the feldspars apart. The differences can be subtle and confusing. Thats because the chemical formulas for the feldspars blend smoothly into each other. Feldspar Formulas and Structure What is common to all the feldspars is the same arrangement of atoms, a framework arrangement, and one basic chemical recipe, a silicate (silicon plus oxygen) recipe. Quartz is another framework silicate, consisting only of oxygen and silicon, but feldspar has various other metals partly replacing the silicon. The basic feldspar recipe is X(Al,Si)4O8, where X stands for Na, K, or Ca. The exact composition of the various feldspar minerals depends on what elements balance the oxygen, which has two bonds to fill (remember H2O?). Silicon makes four chemical bonds with oxygen; that is, its tetravalent. Aluminum makes three bonds (trivalent), calcium makes two (divalent) and sodium and potassium make one (monovalent). So the identity of X depends on how many bonds are needed to make up the total of 16. One Al leaves one bond for Na or K to fill. Two Als leaves two bonds for Ca to fill. So there are two different mixtures that are possible in the feldspars, a sodium-potassium series and a sodium-calcium series. The first is alkali feldspar and the second is plagioclase feldspar. Alkali Feldspar in Detail Alkali feldspar has the formula KAlSi3O8, potassium aluminosilicate. The formula actually is a blend ranging from all sodium (albite) to all potassium (microcline), but albite is also one endpoint in the plagioclase series so we classify it there. This mineral is often called potassium feldspar or K-feldspar because potassium always exceeds sodium in its formula. Potassium feldspar comes in three different crystal structures that depend on the temperature it formed at. Microcline is the stable form below about 400 C. Orthoclase and sanidine are stable above 500 C and 900 C, respectively. Outside the geological community, only dedicated mineral collectors can tell these apart. But a deep green variety of microcline called amazonite stands out in a pretty homogeneous field. The color is from the presence of lead. The high potassium content and high strength of K-feldspar make it the best mineral for potassium-argon dating. Alkali feldspar is a crucial ingredient in glass and pottery glazes. Microcline has a minor use as an abrasive mineral. Plagioclase in Detail Plagioclase ranges in composition from Na[AlSi3O8] to calcium Ca[Al2Si2O8], or sodium to calcium aluminosilicate. Pure Na[AlSi3O8] is albite, and pure Ca[Al2Si2O8] is anorthite. The plagioclase feldspars are named according to the following scheme, where the numbers are the percentage of calcium expressed as anorthite (An): Albite (An 0–10)Oligoclase (An 10–30)Andesine (An 30–50)Labradorite (An 50–70)Bytownite (An 70–90)Anorthite (An 90–100) The geologist distinguishes these under the microscope. One way is to determine the minerals density by putting crushed grains in immersion oils of different densities. (Albites specific gravity is 2.62, anorthites is 2.74, and the others fall in between.) The really precise way is to use thin sections to determine the optical properties along the different crystallographic axes. The amateur has a few clues. An iridescent play of light can result from optical interference inside some feldspars. In labradorite, it often has a dazzling blue hue called labradorescence. If you see that its a sure thing. Bytownite and anorthite are rather rare and unlikely to be seen. An unusual igneous rock consisting of only plagioclase is called anorthosite. A noteworthy occurrence is in New Yorks Adirondack Mountains; another one is the Moon.

International Change and the Social World II Essay

International Change and the Social World II - Essay Example Family can be formally defined on the basis of two aspects namely as a social institution and as an ideology. The paper is aimed to discuss the two aspects of the family. In addition the, different theoretical bases in the study of sociology, the functionalist approach and the feminist perspective will be used to understand the different concepts within the family. In the study of the family, the common and universal knowledge that every individual in the society possesses is related to the function of the family as a social institution. Through the course of history until the present era though, the concept of the family is continuously developing and changing. During the early part of the 20th century, specifically the 50’s and 60’s, the concept of the family had been defined through the functionalist approach proposed by Talcott Parsons. The said theoretical perspective is mainly based on the different functions of the family as a whole as well as the role of the different members for the family. The functionalist approach can then be considered as a structured definition of the concept of the family. He defined the different functions of the family in the society such as the development of the children in terms of socialization and the stabilization of the adult personality. Parsons’ view specifically presented the family as an independent unit. The father as the one who defined the occupational role in the family and the stratification of the family based on gender were included in the said theoretical perspective (Unit B Introduction, p.58). The functionalist approach can be considered as a classical view on the concept of the family. This can be attributed to the fact that during the said era the family was more structured and there was strict cultural norms related to the roles within the family and in the society. As the needs of the people and the society changes, the theoretical perspective

Corporate Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Corporate - Research Paper Example Established in 1985 as an energy company in Houston, Texas, Enron Corporation, in a move to diversify along its business, created SPEs (Special Purpose Entities). In this spree, the much needed amount for the creation of such vehicles was received from the internal employees of the company itself. Adding to the woes, Enron started selling the energy commodities by acting as a broker and profited by the difference between the prices of sellers and buyers, as it had entered into separate contracts with them (AACSB 2002). â€Å"Enron was fond of another procedure known as mark-to-market, which allowed it to increase the value of present assets held by the company by estimating future market prices. Since Enron dominated the energy trading business, the prices by which it marked-to-market were largely subjective- that is, determined by Enron itself in accordance with the earnings it wanted to report.† Defying the laws further, Arthur Anderson, with an intention to show loyalty to the company, provided consultancy to the Corporation and presented misleading and faulty audit data of the Corporation to the stakeholders and investors (Rittenberg et al, 2009, p. 427). The results were graver than imagined. It left Enron bankrupt, due to losses running into billions (debt- $3 billion and losses- $638 million). Apart from financial losses, it also suffered blemishes on its reputation and delisting of its shares and stock. Employees also suffered the loss of their jobs. Data is valuable only if it is in the right hands and used in the right sense. Information contained in data is sensitive and can ruin the fate of the organization handling the data. Thus, data analysis suffers from reliability, validity, authentication and verification. Enron Corporation acted against the transparency and responsibility of being an ethical organization for its investors and invited lethal damage to its

Isaacs Storm Character Analysis Essay Example for Free

Isaacs Storm Character Analysis Essay After reading about Isaac Cline and the examples that demonstrate his character and distinct personality, I’ve realized that he is a very strong, independent, and knowledgeable man who sometimes appeared to be arrogant and narrow-minded. Isaac Cline was very intelligent and adventurous at a young age with a raving passion to reach his dreams of performing something that would â€Å"give results beneficial to mankind.† Sometimes though, his confidence got a little out of control and made him appear a bit cocky about himself and the intelligence about the weather and the world around him that he supplied. By the time Cline had reached his early twenties, Cline’s eyes had seen many horrific events that scarred his memory forever. Despite his hardships, I believe Cline is a very talented man in a numerous ways and uses his talents in a very resourceful and rewarding way. I also believe that Cline has many sides to him that others, and himself, are not aware even exist. When trying prove himself, he reveals his strong, determined side. When singing to his wife, he reveals his romantic side. When training new recruits to perform cavalry assaults, he reveals a dedicated and serious side. Isaac hides a strong, hard backbone behind a welcoming smile and sweet eyes. In all, I believe that Isaac carries many different sides of his character with him and enjoys displaying his intelligent and determined side most of the time in order to prove to others and himself that he is very talented. He is a very strong, respectful, intelligent, opinionated, and absolutely talented man who sets his goals and chases after them wholeheartedly.

Kingstons China Men :: Maxine Hong Kingston China Men

Kingston's China Men Maxine Hong Kingston's China Men contains many fables and parables from the Chinese Culture. In "On Mortality" Kingston reveals the story of human mortality and the reason for this mortality. The story focuses largely on human emotions and reactions towards the situations that people find themselves in. It also raises questions about the role of women in the Chinese culture and the attitudes of the culture towards them. The main character, Tu Tzu-chun, is forced to go through a series of tortures that are all illusions. He can not speak or react to the events that he witnesses, which he believes he can do. It is only at the last of the nine hells that he cries out in horror at the sight that he encounters. As he cries out, Tu is removed from the hells he is in and informed by the Taoist that he has ruined the chance for all humans to be immortal. The Taoist informs Tu that "[Tu] overcame joy and sorrow, anger, fear, and evil desire, but not love..."(121). hat, though, constitutes this idea of love? During the illusions, Tu could not "overcome love" when he was reincarnated as a woman and faced with the murder of her young child, yet when he was still himself he quietly watched his wife be ground into bloodmeal. He did not cry out at that sight, reminding himself that it was only an illusion. How could he not react to this incident to his own wife, yet react to the death of a child he does not yet know? Both incidents were illusions and both would seem to involve love but Tu only reacted to one of them. Is it because he was a woman that he cried out at the sight of a child being harmed? Did he not cry out at the death of his wife because she was a woman? The role of the female in this story reveals a sense of inferiority towards women. These questions that the story raises show how women were viewed as inferior and weak in the eyes of the Chinese culture. Kingston's China Men :: Maxine Hong Kingston China Men Kingston's China Men Maxine Hong Kingston's China Men contains many fables and parables from the Chinese Culture. In "On Mortality" Kingston reveals the story of human mortality and the reason for this mortality. The story focuses largely on human emotions and reactions towards the situations that people find themselves in. It also raises questions about the role of women in the Chinese culture and the attitudes of the culture towards them. The main character, Tu Tzu-chun, is forced to go through a series of tortures that are all illusions. He can not speak or react to the events that he witnesses, which he believes he can do. It is only at the last of the nine hells that he cries out in horror at the sight that he encounters. As he cries out, Tu is removed from the hells he is in and informed by the Taoist that he has ruined the chance for all humans to be immortal. The Taoist informs Tu that "[Tu] overcame joy and sorrow, anger, fear, and evil desire, but not love..."(121). hat, though, constitutes this idea of love? During the illusions, Tu could not "overcome love" when he was reincarnated as a woman and faced with the murder of her young child, yet when he was still himself he quietly watched his wife be ground into bloodmeal. He did not cry out at that sight, reminding himself that it was only an illusion. How could he not react to this incident to his own wife, yet react to the death of a child he does not yet know? Both incidents were illusions and both would seem to involve love but Tu only reacted to one of them. Is it because he was a woman that he cried out at the sight of a child being harmed? Did he not cry out at the death of his wife because she was a woman? The role of the female in this story reveals a sense of inferiority towards women. These questions that the story raises show how women were viewed as inferior and weak in the eyes of the Chinese culture.

Evs project information and topics

Possible ways to reduce river pollution. Use of public transport for reducing purchase of fuel. How to reduce use of electricity? Awareness in students about dangers of tobacco consumption. Hawkers along the streets: Problem or convenience? Flood control measures on bank of river Mitch. Select any one topic from part A Project – Report is to be written on both the sides of two ruled sheets (AY size paper). Write:- a)Tied of project b)illumination /History c)Observation d) Advantages e)Recommendations Part B: Journal 1 (Topics) VI. Recycling of treated sewage.Chip movement. Save the silent valley movement. Effect of agriculture on area of natural CEO-systems (grass/ land ‘forest). Importance of green surroundings in well being of people. All species have their own right to live life. Composition / vermin composition organic waste at home. Change in the onset of flowering of tree in different seasons over last decade. Part C: Journal 2 (Topics) Future of nuclear power proj ects in India. Ether Dam project campaign. Plastic waste: Its effects on environment. Effect of fish harvesting on diversity of fish locality.The factors affecting cost of farming. Use of integrated pest management techniques. Different steps / mechanisms to reduce electricity consumption. Ministry of environment and forest. All topics are compulsory in journal 1 and Journal 2 Each topic must be hand-written on ruled AY size paper (on both sides of paper) Use one AY size paper for each topic Write title of each topic Index page, Project-Report, Journal 1 & Journal 2 must be stapled together and cover it with brown paper of same size Write Student's name, Class, Stream, Division, Roll No.

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