Definition
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Polished
Foliated, Platy
Color
Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Layered and Shiny
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
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Construction Industry
Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
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Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Production of Lime, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
Types
Metamorphic rock
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
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Formation
Soapstone is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock and it is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich inmagnesium.
Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.
Mineral Content
Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
Compound Content
CaO, Mg, MgO
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
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Types of Weathering
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Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
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Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
2.86
2.5-2.9
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
South America
Colombia
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
Soapstone vs Schist 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. Soapstone vs Schist characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Soapstone and Properties of Schist. Learn more about Soapstone vs Schist in the next section. The interior uses of Soapstone include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Schist include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Soapstone and Schist, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Soapstone in construction industry include Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Schist include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Roadstone.
More about Soapstone and Schist
Here you can know more about Soapstone and Schist. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Soapstone and Schist consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Soapstone includes Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Schist includes Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Soapstone vs Schist, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors whereas, Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors. Appearance of Soapstone is Dull, Banded and Foilated and that of Schist is Layered and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Soapstone vs Schist. The hardness of Soapstone is 1 and that of Schist is 3.5-4. The types of Soapstone are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Schist are Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Soapstone is black while that of Schist is white. The specific heat capacity of Soapstone is 0.88 kJ/Kg K and that of Schist is 0.70 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Soapstone is heat resistant, pressure resistant whereas Schist is impact resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.