Calcite

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/calcite

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the chemical composition?Calcium carbonate (CaCO3)
2. What is the crystal system?Trigonal
3. What is calcite and why is it called a sparkly rock?Calcite is a common mineral made of calcium carbonate. It can split light into two rays, which makes it look sparkly and bright.
4. How does calcite form in nature?Calcite forms when marine creatures build shells and plates, or when calcium carbonate comes out of water in caves, hot springs, and other places.

Polymorph: Minerals sharing the same chemical formula but exhibiting distinct crystal structures and physical properties.
Birefringence: The optical property of a material having a refractive index that depends on the polarization and propagation direction of light.
Calcination: The process of heating a substance to a high temperature to cause chemical or physical changes, often used in cement production.
Diagenesis: The physical and chemical changes occurring in sediments after deposition and before metamorphism.