A group of phosphate minerals, usually hydroxyapatite, fluorapatite and chlorapatite, distinguished by high concentrations of hydroxide, fluoride or chloride ions in the crystal. It is the defining mineral for value 5 on the Mohs hardness scale, and its hydroxyapatite endmember is the main mineral of tooth enamel and bone. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Formation ClassPhosphate mineral, a common accessory mineral across igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks and the principal structural mineral of vertebrate bone and tooth enamel. 1 Chemical FormulaCa10(PO4)6(OH,F,Cl)2 (admixture of the three most common endmembers) 1 Hardness (Mohs) Classification
Crystal System Classification UseSoil Amendment or Fertilizer 1 Connections
Associated With
Apatite is the defining mineral for 5 on the Mohs scale.
Source Apatite (Wikipedia)
Apatite named among the characteristic minerals of complex (rare-element) pegmatites.
Source Pegmatite (Wikipedia)
Classified As
Crystallizes In System
In Discipline
Apatite is a standard mineral used in fission-track and (U-Th)/He geochronology dating methods, beyond the automatic in-discipline->Mineralogy edge.
Source Apatite (Wikipedia)
Source Apatite (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Apatite (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section and article body
Apatite is the defining mineral for 5 on the Mohs scale.
Lead section
Apatite is a group of phosphate minerals, usually hydroxyapatite, fluorapatite and chlorapatite, with high concentrations of OH-, F- and Cl- ion, respectively, in the crystal.
Infobox: system
Hexagonal
Apatite (Wikipedia), body text
The primary use of apatite is as a source of phosphate in the manufacture of fertilizer
In Discipline: Geochronology, Applications section
Fission tracks in apatite are commonly used to determine the thermal histories of orogenic belts and of sediments in sedimentary basins.
View the Source Wikidata: Apatite
Wikidata Q178397
Pegmatite (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Pegmatite, Complex pegmatite mineralogy sectionQuote, Associated With: Pegmatite, Complex pegmatite mineralogy section
These complex pegmatites contain unusual minerals of these elements, such as beryl, spodumene, lepidolite, amblygonite, topaz, apatite, fluorite, tourmaline.
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