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Chalk vs Soapstone


Soapstone vs Chalk


Definition

Definition
Chalk is a soft, white, powdery limestone consisting mainly of fossil shells of foraminifers   
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
USA   

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 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Clastic or Non-Clastic   
Polished   

Color
Grey, White, Yellow   
Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
No   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Soft   
Dull, Banded and Foilated   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration   
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration   

Other Architectural Uses
Powder   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

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   
Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

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   
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Production of Lime, Source of Magnesia (MgO)   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock   
Host Rock for Lead   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Present   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Chalk is formed from lime mud, which accumulates on the sea floor which is then transformed into rock by geological processes.   
Soapstone is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock and it is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich inmagnesium.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand   
Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz   

Compound Content
Ca, NaCl, CaO   
CaO, Mg, MgO   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
No   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering   
Not Applicable   

Erosion
Yes   
No   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion   
Not Applicable   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
1   
1   

Grain Size
Very fine-grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Not Available   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
Black   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Greasy   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
225.00 N/mm2   
7

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Perfect   

Toughness
1   
1   

Specific Gravity
2.3-2.4   
2.86   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.49-2.50 g/cm3   
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.90 kJ/Kg K   
12
0.88 kJ/Kg K   
13

Resistance
Heat Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam   
China, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand   

Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe   
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa   

Europe
England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom   
Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Colombia   
Colombia   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula   
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland   

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Chalk vs Soapstone 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 Chalk and Soapstone Reserves. Chalk is a soft, white, powdery limestone consisting mainly of fossil shells of foraminifers. It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc. 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 Chalk vs Soapstone information and Chalk vs Soapstone characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Chalk vs Soapstone 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 Soapstone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Chalk and Properties of Soapstone. Learn more about Chalk vs Soapstone in the next section. The interior uses of Chalk include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Soapstone include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Chalk and Soapstone, 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 Soapstone include Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.

More about Chalk and Soapstone

Here you can know more about Chalk and Soapstone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Chalk and Soapstone consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Chalk includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand and mineral content of Soapstone includes Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Chalk vs Soapstone, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Chalk is available in grey, white, yellow colors whereas, Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors. Appearance of Chalk is Soft and that of Soapstone is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Chalk vs Soapstone. Hardness of Chalk and Soapstone is 1. The types of Chalk are Not Available whereas types of Soapstone are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Chalk is white while that of Soapstone is black. The specific heat capacity of Chalk is 0.90 kJ/Kg K and that of Soapstone is 0.88 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 Soapstone is heat resistant, pressure resistant.

Fossil Rocks

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