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Flint vs Obsidian


Obsidian vs Flint


Definition

Definition
Flint is a hard type of sedimentary rock that produces a small piece of burning material when hit by steel   
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   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
Ethiopia   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Obsius   

Etymology
From Old English flint - a type of rock mainly known for high hardness and for giving off sparks when struck   
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Volcanic   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Banded, Rough   
Glassy   

Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White   
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Glassy or Pearly   
Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Not Yet Used   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Spear Points   
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Surgery   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Jewellery   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms   
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian   

Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate   
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Present   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Flint is formed by the decomposition and compaction of various organisms such as sponges and diatoms under the water.   
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.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Silicon   
Not Available   

Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism   

Weathering
No   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Not Applicable   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7   
5-5.5   

Grain Size
Very fine-grained   
Not Applicable   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Very Less Porous   

Luster
Vitreous   
Vitreous   

Compressive Strength
450.00 N/mm2   
1
0.15 N/mm2   
33

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
1.5   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8   
2.6-2.7   

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque   
Translucent   

Density
2.7-2.71 g/cm3   
2.6 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.74 kJ/Kg K   
19
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Azerbaijan, China, Russia   
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia   

Africa
Not Yet Found   
Kenya   

Europe
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom   
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA   
Canada, Mexico, USA   

South America
Bolivia   
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, South Australia   
New Zealand   

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Flint vs Obsidian 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 Flint and Obsidian Reserves. Flint is a hard type of sedimentary rock that produces a small piece of burning material when hit by steel. 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. 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 Flint vs Obsidian information and Flint vs Obsidian characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Flint vs Obsidian 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 Obsidian characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Flint and Properties of Obsidian. Learn more about Flint vs Obsidian in the next section. The interior uses of Flint include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Flint and Obsidian, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Flint in construction industry include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Spear points and that of Obsidian include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.

More about Flint and Obsidian

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

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