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cristobalite

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cris⋅to⋅bal⋅ite

[kri-stoh-buh-lahyt]
–noun Mineralogy.
a polymorph of quartz occurring in volcanic rock in the form of colorless, translucent crystals.

Origin:
1885–90; named after San Cristóbal, a hill near Pachuca de Soto, Mexico; see -ite 1
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Encyclopedia

cristobalite

the stable form of silica (silicon dioxide, SiO2) between its melting point of 1,728 C (3,142 F) and 1,470 C (2,678 F), below which tridymite is the stable form. Cristobalite has two modifications: low-cristobalite, which occurs naturally up to 268 C (514 F) but is not stable; and high-cristobalite, which occurs above 268 C but is only stable above 1,470 C. Natural low-cristobalite usually occurs in sub-microcrystalline masses (see opal) or fibrous to columnar spherulites (see lussatite) in igneous rocks. Cristobalite has the same chemical composition as coesite, stishovite, quartz, and tridymite but has a different crystal structure. For detailed physical properties, see silica mineral (table)

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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