Sandstone vs Basalt 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. Sandstone vs Basalt characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Sandstone and Properties of Basalt. Learn more about Sandstone vs Basalt in the next section. The interior uses of Sandstone include Countertops, Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Sandstone and Basalt, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Sandstone in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Basalt include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Cutting tool, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Sandstone and Basalt
Here you can know more about Sandstone and Basalt. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Sandstone and Basalt consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Sandstone includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Sandstone vs Basalt, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Sandstone is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors whereas, Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Sandstone is Rough and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Sandstone vs Basalt. The hardness of Sandstone is 6-7 and that of Basalt is 6. The types of Sandstone are Grey Sandstones, Crystallized Sandstones, Hard Sandstones , Carbonate Cemented Sandstones and Ganister whereas types of Basalt are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Sandstone is white while that of Basalt is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Sandstone is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Basalt is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Sandstone is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.