Granite Rock | History

Definition

Granite is a very hard, granular, crystalline igneous rock which consists mainly of quartz, mica, and feldspar and is often used as building stone

History

Origin

Discoverer

Alexander von Humboldt

Etymology

From Italian granito, which means grained rock, from grano grain, and from Latin granum

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Granular, Phaneritic

Color

Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White

Maintenance

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

81% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

Scratch Resistant

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86% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

Stain Resistant

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66% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

Wind Resistant

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49% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

Acid Resistant

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48% - Igneous Rocks Rocks

Appearance

Veined or Pebbled

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Near Swimming Pools, Office Buildings, Resorts

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones, Used in aquariums

Types

Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite

Features

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Blue Domed Church in Santorini, Greece, Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in London, UK, Ephesus in Turkey, Georgia Guidestones in Georgia, US, Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, Khajuraho Temples, India, Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, India, Mysore Palace in Karnataka, India, Signers Monument in Augusta, Georgia, Statue of Liberty in New York, USA, Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Tower Bridge in London, Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, US, Washington Monument, US

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Avukana Buddha Statue in Sri Lanka, Lincoln Memorial in America, Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, US, The Colossal Red Granite Statue of Amenhotep III in Karnak, Egypt

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Granite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard, crystalline and is visibly homogeneous in texture and forms by melting of continental rocks

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz

Compound Content

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

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97% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism

Weathering

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99% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

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92% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-7

1 7

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Grain Size

Large and Coarse Grained

Fracture

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous

Compressive Strength

175.00 N/mm²

Rank: 20 (Overall)

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.7

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.65-2.75 g/cm³

0 1400

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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.79 kJ/Kg K

Rank: 17 (Overall)

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

Africa

Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe

Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic