Apatite Mineral Data

Apatite Mineral Data +

General Apatite Information

Chemical Formula:

Ca5(PO4)3(OH,F,Cl)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 509.12 gm

Calcium 39.36 % Ca 55.07 % CaO

Phosphorus 18.25 % P 41.82 % P₂O₅

Hydrogen 0.07 % H 0.59 % H₂O

Chlorine 2.32 % Cl 2.32 % Cl

- % Cl -0.52 % -O=Cl₂

Oxygen 38.76 % O

Fluorine 1.24 % F 1.24 % F

- % F -0.52 % -O=F₂

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ca₅(PO₄)₃(OH)_0.3333F_0.3333Cl_0.3333

Environment:

Apatite is now a group name for a series of related minerals.

IMA Status:

Not Approved IMA

Locality:

Common world wide. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named in 1788 from the Greek apatao - "I am misleading."

Synonym:

Davisonite-mixture with crandallite

Dennisonite-mixture with crandallite

Apatite Image

Images:

Apatite Carbonate-fluorapatite

Comments: Pink, colliform carbonate-fluorapatite on matrix.
Location: Tip Top mine, Custer, Custer County, South Dakota, USA. Scale: Size Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Images:

Apatite Fluorapatite Beryl Muscovite

Comments: Pink crystals of fluorapatite with pale blue beryl (aquamarine) on books of muscovite crystals.
Location: Nagar area, Gilgit district, Northern Areas, Pakistan. Scale: 3 x 3 cm.
© Dan Weinrich

Images:

Apatite Robertsite Carbonate-hydroxylapatite

Comments: Black crystals of Robertsite on pink carbonate-hydroxylapatite.
Location: Tip Top mine, Custer, Custer County, South Dakota, USA. Scale: Not Given.
© Lou Perloff / Photo Atlas of Minerals

Apatite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:0.73454

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.38, c = 6.89, Z = 2; V = 525.00 Den(Calc)= 3.22

Crystal System:

Hexagonal - DipyramidalH-M Symbol (6/m) Space Group: P 6₃/m

Forms:

Mouse
Dbl Clk - Start-Stop Rotation
RMB - Cycle Display Modes
Drag1 - Manipulate Crystal
Drag2 - Resize
Keyboard
S - Stereo
I - Indicies
<space> - Start-Stop Rotation
F - Fit to Screen
M - Menu
Help on Above

Forms: [ 0 1 1] [ 0 1 0] [ 0 0 1]

Warning: this large pop-up is very compute intensive and may not work well with some computers.

Physical Properties of Apatite

Cleavage:

[0001] Indistinct, [1010] Indistinct

Color:

White, Yellow, Green, Red, Blue.

Density:

3.16 - 3.22, Average = 3.19

Diaphaniety:

Transparent to translucent

Fracture:

Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by smoothly curving surfaces, (e.g. quartz).

Habit:

Colloform - Forming from a gel or colloidal mass.

Habit:

Earthy - Dull, clay-like texture with no visible crystalline affinities, (e.g. howlite).

Habit:

Massive - Granular - Common texture observed in granite and other igneous rock.

Hardness:

5 - Apatite

Luminescence:

None.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Apatite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.021 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.03 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1961,KPDmeas= 0.198,KC= 0.2021

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.63, w=1.633, bire=0.0030.

Calculated Properties of Apatite

Electron Density:

r_electron=3.17 gm/cc
note: r_Apatite=3.19 gm/cc.

Fermion Index

Fermion Index = 0.00071
Boson Index = 0.99929

Photoelectric:

PE_Apatite= 5.87 barns/electron
U=PE_Apatite x r_electron= 18.59 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)

Apatite is Not Radioactive

Apatite Classification

Dana Class:

41.8.1.0 (41)Anhydrous Phosphates, etc. Containing Hydroxyl or Halogen

(41.8)where (A)5 (XO4)3 Zq

(41.8.1)Dana Group

41.8.1.0 Apatite * Ca5(PO4)3(OH,F,Cl) P 6₃/m 6/m

41.8.1.1 Fluorapatite Ca5(PO4)3F P 6₃/m 6/m

41.8.1.2 Chlorapatite Ca5(PO4)3Cl P 6₃/m 6/m

41.8.1.3 Hydroxylapatite Ca5(PO4)3(OH) P 6₃/m 6/m

41.8.1.4 Carbonate-fluorapatite Ca5(PO4,CO3)3F P 6₃/m 6/m

41.8.1.5 Carbonate-hydroxylapatite Ca5(PO4,CO3)3(OH) P 6₃/m 6/m

41.8.1.6 Belovite-(Ce) (Sr,Ce,Na,Ca)5(PO4)3(OH) P 3 3

41.8.1.6a Belovite-(La)! (Sr,La,Ce,Ca)5(PO4)3(F,OH) P 3 3

41.8.1.6b Kuannersuite-(Ce)! Ba6Na2REE2(PO4)6FCl P 3 3

41.8.1.7 Strontium-apatite (Sr,Ca)5(PO4)3(F,OH) P 6₃/m 6/m

41.8.1.8 Fluorcaphite! (Ca,Sr,Ce,Na)5(PO4)3F P 6₃ 6

41.8.1.9 Deloneite-(Ce)! NaCa2SrCe(PO4)3F P 3 3

Strunz Class:

VII/B.39-00 VII - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates

VII/B - Waterfree phosphates with unfamiliar anions F, Cl, O, OH. cations of medium and big size: Mg, Cu, Zn, and Ca, Na, K, Ba, Pb

VII/B.39 - Apatite - Pyromorphite group

Other Apatite Information

References:

NAME( Duda&Rejl90) PHYS. PROP.(Mason68) OPTIC PROP.(Mason68)

Search for Apatite using:

[ALTAVISTA] [AOL] [About.com] [All-The-Web] [HotBot] [Ixquick] [LookSmart] [MAMMA] [MSN.COM] [Netscape] [Teoma] [Wikipedia] [YAHOO]

Visit our Advertisers for Apatite :
AA Mineral Specimens
A-Rocks Auction
Adams Minerals
B and L Minerals
Dakota Matrix
Dan Weinrich Fine Minerals
Dan Weinrich Auctions
e-Rocks Auctions
Excalibur Minerals
Exceptional Minerals
Fabre Minerals
Greenside Minerals
John Betts Fine Minerals
Masons Minerals
Mineral News
Mineral of the Month Club
MineralsWeb Fine Minerals
Minernet.it
Rockshop.cz Kalat Fine Minerals
T G Fine Minerals
Wrights Rock Shop

Translate Apatite Mineral Data :

Ask about Apatite here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

Print or Cut-and-Paste your Apatite Specimen Label here :

Apatite

Ca5(PO4)3(OH,F,Cl)
Dana No: 41.8.1.0 Strunz No: VII/B.39-00
Locality:

Notes: