Definition
Flint is a hard type of sedimentary rock that produces a small piece of burning material when hit by steel
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
Discoverer
Unknown
Ferdinand von Richthofen
Etymology
From Old English flint - a type of rock mainly known for high hardness and for giving off sparks when struck
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Rough
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Grey, White, Light Black
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
-
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
Types
Chert and Jasper
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Flint is formed by the decomposition and compaction of various organisms such as sponges and diatoms under the water.
Rhyolite is a felsic extrusive rock and due to its high silica content, rhyolite lava is very viscous and is volcanic equivalent of granite.
Mineral Content
Silicon
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
-
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Large and Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Sub-conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
2.65-2.67
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.7-2.71 g/cm3
2.4-2.6 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Azerbaijan, China, Russia
China, India
Africa
-
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, South Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Flint vs Rhyolite 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 Rhyolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Flint and Properties of Rhyolite. Learn more about Flint vs Rhyolite in the next section. The interior uses of Flint include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Flint and Rhyolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Flint in construction industry include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Spear points and that of Rhyolite include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Knives.
More about Flint and Rhyolite
Here you can know more about Flint and Rhyolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Flint and Rhyolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Flint includes Silicon and mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Flint vs Rhyolite, 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, Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black colors. Appearance of Flint is Glassy or Pearly and that of Rhyolite is Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Flint vs Rhyolite. The hardness of Flint is 7 and that of Rhyolite is 6-7. The types of Flint are Chert and Jasper whereas types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.. 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 Rhyolite is . The specific heat capacity of Flint is 0.74 kJ/Kg K and that of Rhyolite is 0.71 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 Rhyolite is heat resistant, wear resistant.