CORUNDUM

CORUNDUM

Corundum is a very valuable mineral and it comes in many different colors.

CORUNDUM’S PROPERTIES

Color: Frequently gray, but also white, red, blue, yellow, and green.

Streak: Colorless.

Luster: Vitreous* and pearly.

Hardness: 9 on the scale. It is harder than topaz and quartz, but softer than diamond and moissanite.

*Vitreous: Glassy

IT’S CRYSTAL SHAPE

Corundum has a hexagonal shape.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND CORUNDUM

Corundum can be found in metamorphic and volcanic rocks in places like Burma, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.

THE FORMULA OF CORUNDUM

The formula of corundum is AI203. (Aluminum Oxide)

FUN FACTS

• Did you know that a red corundum is a ruby and a blue corundum is a sapphire?

• Corundum has no cleavage.

• Corundum is the 3rd hardest mineral.

• It was named "corinvindum" in 1725 by John Woodward. Richard Kirwan used the current spelling "corundum" in 1794.

RESOURCES USED

http://geology.com/minerals/

http://www.ask.com/question

http://www.answers.com/

http://answers.yahoo.com/question

CREDITS

Presented and created by: Helen and Elizabeth.

Helpers: Asad Soomro, Ben Rosenfeld, and Luke Capello.

Properties Where is it found?

Moh’s Scale Random

100 100 100 100

200 200 200 200

300 300 300 300

BONUS

WHAT IS CORUNDUM’S STREAK?

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COLORLESS

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WHAT IS CORUNDUM’S LUSTER?

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VITREOUS(GLASSY) AND PEARLY

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WHAT IS CORUNDUM’S USUAL COLOR?

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USUALLY GRAY

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TRUE OR FALSE: CORUNDUM IS FOUND IN BURMA.

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TRUE

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IS CORUNDUM FOUND IN METAMORPHIC/VOLCANIC ROCKS OR IN SEDIMENTARY ROCKS?

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METAMORPHIC/VOLCANIC ROCKS

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TRUE OR FALSE: SRI LANKA IS ONE PLACE CORUNDUM IS FOUND.

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TRUE

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TRUE OR FALSE: CORUNDUM IS 9 ON THE MOH’S SCALE.

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TRUE

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DAILY DOUBLESee Problem

WHAT 2 MINERALS ARE HARDER THAN CORUNDUM?

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DIAMOND AND MOISSANITE

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WHAT NUMBER IS CORUNDUM ON THE MOH’S SCALE?

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9

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WHAT MINERAL IS NUMBER 8 ON THE MOH’S SCALE?

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TOPAZ

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WHAT IS A RED CORUNDUM CALLED?

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RUBY

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CORUNDUM’S SHAPE IS…

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HEXAGONAL

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TRUE OR FALSE: CORUNDUM IS THE 3RD HARDEST MINERAL.

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TRUE

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WHAT IS CORUNDUM’S FORMULA?

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AI203 (ALUMINUM OXIDE)

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