Witherite Mineral Data

General Witherite Information

Chemical Formula:

BaCO3

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 197.34 gm

Barium 69.59 % Ba 77.70 % BaO

Carbon 6.09 % C 22.30 % CO₂

Oxygen 24.32 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Ba(CO₃)

Environment:

Low-temperature hydrothermal veins.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1790

Locality:

Alston Moor, Cumberland, England. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named after William Withering (1741-1799). English physician and mineralogist.

Name Pronunciation:

Witherite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 15196

PDF 45-1471

Witherite Image

Images:

Witherite

Comments: Specimen of witherite with a rounded (stellate) habit. The lower picture was taken under SW UV light and shows the crystalline aggregates.
Location: Minerva #1 Mine, Hardin County, Illinois, USA. Scale: 5.2 x 4.5 cm.
© John Veevaert

Witherite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.5966:1:0.7221

Cell Dimensions:

a = 5.313, b = 8.904, c = 6.43, Z = 4; V = 304.18 Den(Calc)= 4.31

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - DipyramidalH-M Symbol (2/m 2/m 2/m) Space Group: Pmcn

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.72(1), 3.68(0.53), 2.15(0.28),

Forms:

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Forms: ( 0 1 0) ( 1 0 2) ( 0 2 1) ( 1 0 0)

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Crystal Structure:

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de Villiers J P R , American Mineralogist , 56 (1971) p.758-767, Crystal structures of aragonite, strontianite, and witherite

View Additional jPOWD Structure files for Witherite
[1] [10] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Physical Properties of Witherite

Cleavage:

{010} Distinct

Color:

Colorless, Milky white, Grayish white, Pale yellowish white, Pale brownish white.

Density:

4.3

Diaphaneity:

Subtransparent to translucent

Fracture:

Sub Conchoidal - Fractures developed in brittle materials characterized by semi-curving surfaces.

Habit:

Columnar - Forms columns

Habit:

Pseudo Hexagonal - Crystals show a hexagonal outline.

Habit:

Reniform - "Kidney like" in shape (e.g.. hematite).

Hardness:

3-3.5 - Calcite-Copper Penny

Luminescence:

Fluorescent and phosphorescent, Short UV=bluish white, Long UV=bluish white.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Witherite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.004 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.007 (Superior) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1456,KPDmeas= 0.1459,KC= 0.1465
Ncalc = 1.63

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.529, b=1.676, g=1.677, bire=0.1480, 2V(Calc)=8, 2V(Meas)=16. Dispersion relatively weak.

Calculated Properties of Witherite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.75 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Witherite =4.30 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.12
Boson Index = 0.88

Photoelectric:

PE_Witherite= 320.10 barns/electron
U=PE_Witherite x rElectron Density=1,199.72 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Witherite is Not Radioactive

Witherite Classification

Dana Class:

14.01.03.02 (14)Anhydrous Carbonates

(14.01)with Simple Formula A+ CO3

(14.01.03)Aragonite Group (Orthorhombic: Pmcn)

14.01.03.01 Aragonite CaCO3 Pmcn 2/m 2/m 2/m

14.01.03.02 Witherite BaCO3 Pmcn 2/m 2/m 2/m

14.01.03.03 Strontianite SrCO3 Pmcn 2/m 2/m 2/m

14.01.03.04 Cerussite PbCO3 Pmcn 2/m 2/m 2/m

Strunz Class:

05.AB.15 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)

05.A - Carbonates without additional anions, without H2O

05.AB -Alkali-earth (and other M2+) carbonates

05.AB.15 Cerussite PbCO3 Pmcn 2/m 2/m 2/m

05.AB.15 Aragonite CaCO3 Pmcn 2/m 2/m 2/m

05.AB.15 Strontianite SrCO3 Pmcn 2/m 2/m 2/m

05.AB.15 Witherite BaCO3 Pmcn 2/m 2/m 2/m

Other Witherite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Mason68)

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

Witherite

BaCO3
Dana No: 14.01.03.02 Strunz No: 05.AB.15
Locality:

Notes: