Definition
Flint is a hard type of sedimentary rock that produces a small piece of burning material when hit by steel
Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt
Discoverer
Unknown
Christian Leopold von Buch
Etymology
From Old English flint - a type of rock mainly known for high hardness and for giving off sparks when struck
From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Rough
Phaneritic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Dark Grey to Black
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Used
Formation
Flint is formed by the decomposition and compaction of various organisms such as sponges and diatoms under the water.
Gabbro, a mafic rock, forms due to cooling and crystallization of magma underneath Earth's surface.
Mineral Content
Silicon
Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Vitreous
Not Available
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.7-2.71 g/cm3
2.7-3.3 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Azerbaijan, China, Russia
India, Russia
Africa
Not Yet Found
South Africa
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, South Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
Flint vs Gabbro 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. Flint vs Gabbro characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Flint and Properties of Gabbro. Learn more about Flint vs Gabbro in the next section. The interior uses of Flint include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Gabbro include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Flint and Gabbro, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Flint in construction industry include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Spear points and that of Gabbro include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Flint and Gabbro
Here you can know more about Flint and Gabbro. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Flint and Gabbro consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Flint includes Silicon and mineral content of Gabbro includes Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Flint vs Gabbro, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Flint is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas, Gabbro is available in dark grey to black colors. Appearance of Flint is Glassy or Pearly and that of Gabbro is Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Flint vs Gabbro. Hardness of Flint and Gabbro is 7. The types of Flint are Not Available whereas types of Gabbro are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Flint is white while that of Gabbro is black. The specific heat capacity of Flint is 0.74 kJ/Kg K and that of Gabbro is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Flint is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Gabbro is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.