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Obsidian
Obsidian

Flint
Flint



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Obsidian vs Flint

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1 Definition
1.1 Definition
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth
Flint is a hard type of sedimentary rock that produces a small piece of burning material when hit by steel
1.2 History
1.2.1 Origin
Ethiopia
Unknown
1.2.2 Discoverer
Obsius
Unknown
1.3 Etymology
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
From Old English flint - a type of rock mainly known for high hardness and for giving off sparks when struck
1.4 Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
1.4.1 Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
1.5 Family
1.5.1 Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
1.6 Other Categories
Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
2 Texture
2.1 Texture
Glassy
Banded, Rough
2.2 Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
2.3 Maintenance
Less
Less
2.4 Durability
Durable
Durable
2.4.1 Water Resistant
81% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
59% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
2.4.2 Scratch Resistant
86% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
62% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
2.4.3 Stain Resistant
66% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
43% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
2.4.4 Wind Resistant
49% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
38% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
2.4.5 Acid Resistant
48% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
22% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
2.5 Appearance
Shiny
Glassy or Pearly
3 Uses
3.1 Architecture
3.1.1 Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
3.1.2 Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
3.2 Industry
3.2.1 Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
3.2.2 Medical Industry
Surgery
Not Yet Used
3.3 Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery
Artifacts
3.4 Other Uses
3.4.1 Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
4 Types
4.1 Types
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Not Available
4.2 Features
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
4.3 Archaeological Significance
4.3.1 Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
4.3.2 Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
4.3.3 Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
4.3.4 Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
4.3.5 Pictographs
Used
Not Used
4.3.6 Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
4.3.7 Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
4.4 Fossils
Absent
Present
5 Formation
5.1 Formation
When the lava is released from volcano, it undergoes a very rapid cooling which freezes the mechanisms of crystallization. The result is a volcanic glass with a uniform smooth texture.
Flint is formed by the decomposition and compaction of various organisms such as sponges and diatoms under the water.
5.2 Composition
5.2.1 Mineral Content
Not Available
Silicon
5.2.2 Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Silicon Dioxide
5.3 Transformation
5.3.1 Metamorphism
97% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
19% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Not Applicable
5.3.3 Weathering
99% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
78% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
5.3.4 Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Not Applicable
5.3.5 Erosion
92% Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
86% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
5.3.6 Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
6 Properties
6.1 Physical Properties
6.1.1 Hardness
5-5.5
7
6.1.2 Grain Size
Not Applicable
Very fine-grained
6.1.3 Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
6.1.4 Streak
White
White
6.1.5 Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
6.1.6 Luster
Vitreous
Vitreous
6.1.7 Compressive Strength
Flint
0.15 N/mm2
Rank: 33 (Overall)
450.00 N/mm2
Rank: 1 (Overall)
Obsidian
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6.1.8 Cleavage
Non-Existent
Non-Existent
6.1.9 Toughness
Not Available
1.5
6.1.10 Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
2.5-2.8
6.1.11 Transparency
Translucent
Translucent to Opaque
6.1.12 Density
2.6 g/cm3
2.7-2.71 g/cm3
6.2 Thermal Properties
6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity
Banded iron for..
0.92 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 10 (Overall)
0.74 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 19 (Overall)
Granulite
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6.2.2 Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
7 Reserves
7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents
7.1.1 Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Azerbaijan, China, Russia
7.1.2 Africa
Kenya
Not Yet Found
7.1.3 Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
7.1.4 Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
7.2 Deposits in Western Continents
7.2.1 North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
USA
7.2.2 South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Bolivia
7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent
7.3.1 Australia
New Zealand
New Zealand, South Australia

Obsidian vs Flint Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Obsidian and Flint Reserves. Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth. Flint is a hard type of sedimentary rock that produces a small piece of burning material when hit by steel. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Obsidian vs Flint information and Obsidian vs Flint characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Obsidian vs Flint Characteristics

Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Obsidian vs Flint characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Obsidian and Properties of Flint. Learn more about Obsidian vs Flint in the next section. The interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Flint include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Obsidian and Flint, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Obsidian in construction industry include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points and that of Flint include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Spear points.

More about Obsidian and Flint

Here you can know more about Obsidian and Flint. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Obsidian and Flint consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Obsidian is not available and mineral content of Flint includes Silicon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Obsidian vs Flint, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas, Flint is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Obsidian is Shiny and that of Flint is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Obsidian vs Flint. The hardness of Obsidian is 5-5.5 and that of Flint is 7. The types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian whereas types of Flint are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Obsidian and Flint is white. The specific heat capacity of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Flint is 0.74 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Flint is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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