Halite

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The mineral Halite is common rock salt.

Halite
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Chemical name Sodium Chloride
Chemical formula NaCl
Identification
Colors Colorless, or tints of gray, yellow, red, blue
Crystal habit Usually a simple cube, rarely octahedral; faces are commonly cavernous and develop into hopper crystals
Crystal system Isometric
Cleavage Perfect, three directions at 90°
Fracture Conchoidal, Brittle
Hardness 2-2 1/2
Luster Vitreous
Name origin From the Greek hals, meaning salt
Specific gravity 2.16
Streak White


Sources

  • Chesterman, Charles W. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals, Alfred A. Knopf: New York (1987)