Definition
Chalk is a soft, white, powdery limestone consisting mainly of fossil shells of foraminifers
Flint is a hard type of sedimentary rock that produces a small piece of burning material when hit by steel
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From old English cealc chalk, lime, plaster; pebble, from Greek khalix small pebble, in English transferred to the opaque, white, soft limestone
From Old English flint - a type of rock mainly known for high hardness and for giving off sparks when struck
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Banded, Rough
Color
Grey, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Soft
Glassy or Pearly
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Powder
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, raw material for manufacture of quicklime and slaked lime, Source of calcium
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Alumina Refineries, Creating Artwork, Drawing on blackboards, Gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, In aquifers, Paper Industry, Production of Lime, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Whiting, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Chalk is formed from lime mud, which accumulates on the sea floor which is then transformed into rock by geological processes.
Flint is formed by the decomposition and compaction of various organisms such as sponges and diatoms under the water.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand
Silicon
Compound Content
Ca, NaCl, CaO
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Not Available
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Non-Existent
Specific Gravity
2.3-2.4
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.49-2.50 g/cm3
2.7-2.71 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Azerbaijan, China, Russia
Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Not Yet Found
Europe
England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Colombia
Bolivia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
New Zealand, South Australia
Chalk 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. Chalk vs Flint characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Chalk and Properties of Flint. Learn more about Chalk vs Flint in the next section. The interior uses of Chalk include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Flint include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Chalk and Flint, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Chalk in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime and slaked lime, Source of calcium and that of Flint include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Spear points.
More about Chalk and Flint
Here you can know more about Chalk and Flint. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Chalk and Flint consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Chalk includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand and mineral content of Flint includes Silicon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Chalk vs Flint, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Chalk is available in grey, white, yellow colors whereas, Flint is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Chalk is Soft and that of Flint is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Chalk vs Flint. The hardness of Chalk is 1 and that of Flint is 7. The types of Chalk are Not Available 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 Chalk and Flint is white. The specific heat capacity of Chalk is 0.90 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.Chalk is heat resistant whereas Flint is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.