Definition
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
Flint is a hard type of sedimentary rock that produces a small piece of burning material when hit by steel
Discoverer
Obsius
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
From Old English flint - a type of rock mainly known for high hardness and for giving off sparks when struck
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy
Banded, Rough
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Shiny
Glassy or Pearly
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
-
Curbing
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
Medical Industry
Surgery
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Types
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Chert and Jasper
Features
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Archaeological Significance
Formation
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.
Flint is formed by the decomposition and compaction of various organisms such as sponges and diatoms under the water.
Mineral Content
-
Silicon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
-
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
-
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Translucent
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm3
2.7-2.71 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Azerbaijan, China, Russia
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Bolivia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
New Zealand, South Australia
Obsidian vs Flint 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. Obsidian vs Flint characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Obsidian and Properties of Flint. Learn more about Obsidian vs Flint in the next section. The interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Flint include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Obsidian and Flint, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Obsidian in construction industry include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points and that of Flint include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Spear points.
More about Obsidian and Flint
Here you can know more about Obsidian and Flint. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Obsidian and Flint consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Obsidian includes and mineral content of Flint includes Silicon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Obsidian vs Flint, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas, Flint is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Obsidian is Shiny and that of Flint is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Obsidian vs Flint. The hardness of Obsidian is 5-5.5 and that of Flint is 7. The types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian whereas types of Flint are Chert and Jasper. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Obsidian and Flint is white. The specific heat capacity of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Flint is 0.74 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Flint is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.