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Crystal system |
orthorhombic. |
Habit |
blades, prisms, plates, fibrous rosettes, stellate, spherical and random aggregates; often twinned to make spearheaded or cockscombed crystals. |
Cleavage |
poor. |
Fracture |
conchoidal. |
Hardness |
6 - 6.5 |
Specific Gravity |
4.8 |
Color |
pale yellow and commonly tarnished to blue, violet or green metallic. |
Luster |
opaque with a bright metallic luster. |
Streak |
green/black. |
Distinguishing features |
always pale yellow with a tinge of the previously mentioned tarnishes; also, oxidizes quickly in air causing white spots of melanterite to form; this mineral is dimorphous with pyrite. |
Uses |
used for the extraction of sulfuric acid..
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