earth science

Gottlobite

Gottlobite is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Gottlobite rather than just read about it. In short: Gottlobite, CaMg(VO4,AsO4)(OH), is a mineral in the adelite group found as isolated crystals or isometric grains of orange or orange-brown color. The size of the crystals are a half millimeter in diameter and are part of the orthorhombic crystal system.

Key takeaways

Gottlobite belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Gottlobite to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Gottlobite from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Gottlobite, CaMg(VO4,AsO4)(OH), is a mineral in the adelite group found as isolated crystals or isometric grains of orange or orange-brown color. The size of the crystals are a half millimeter in diameter and are part of the orthorhombic crystal system. Gottlobite is the vanadate end member in a solid solution formed with adelite (CaMg(AsO4)(OH)). Gottlobite is also part of the vanadates and arsenates group. With these characteristics, it is similar to the minerals tangeite and austinite by X-ray diffraction methods.

Occurrence Gottlobite is a relatively rare mineral where only a small quantity of the mineral has been found. It was first observed at the site of a long-abandoned mine on the northern slope of Gottlob hill in Friedrichroda, Thuringia, Germany by Jὒrgen Graf in August of 1996. As such, gottlobite got its name from its locality. Additionally, the German translation of "Lob" means "praise" and the German translation of "Gott" means "God", as deciphered by Google Translate. In the mine at this location, Gottlobite is found in hydrothermal veins of barite that are cutting through conglomerate. The crystals of gottlobite can be found embedded in these barite veins or as stand-alone crystals on surrounding minerals. The associated minerals in the area are hausmannite, barite, vanadian adelite, and muscovite.

Composition Analytical methods used on gottlobite to determine its chemical composition include energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) and wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (WDX). EDX revealed the presence and quantities of elements present in the mineral, including Ca, V, As, O and small amounts of Sr. This was then measured in terms of oxides, where the weight percents were 24.98 for CaO, 0.92 for SrO, 17.54 for MgO, 1.50 for MnO, 1.44 for CuO, 27.47 for V2O5, 20.32 for As2O5, and 5.4 for H2O. Mg is in gottlobite's chemical formula, but was not found in the EDX testing because of very similar pattern of arsenic lines that were overlapping with magnesium. The full empirical formula of gottlobite is (Ca0.93,Sr0.03)(Mg0.91,Mn0.04,Cu0.04)(V0.63,As0.37)O4O1.08H1.26. As seen in the formula, it was also determined that the arsenic and vanadium atoms are in 4-fold (tetrahedral) coordination with oxygen, and the magnesium atoms are in six-fold (octahedral) coordination.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Gottlobite

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Gottlobite claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Gottlobite before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Gottlobite ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Gottlobite

In research: Gottlobite appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Gottlobite in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Gottlobite is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Calcium minerals, Hydroxide minerals, Magnesium minerals, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Gottlobite outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Gottlobite in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Gottlobite means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Gottlobite out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Gottlobite in simple terms?

Why does Gottlobite matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Gottlobite?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Gottlobite.