earth science

Katayamalite

Katayamalite 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 Katayamalite rather than just read about it. In short: Katayamalite is a cyclosilicate mineral that was named in honor of mineralogist and professor Nobuo Katayama. It was approved in 1982 by the International Mineralogical Association, and was first published a year later.

Key takeaways

Katayamalite 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 Katayamalite to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Katayamalite from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Katayamalite is a cyclosilicate mineral that was named in honor of mineralogist and professor Nobuo Katayama. It was approved in 1982 by the International Mineralogical Association, and was first published a year later.

Relation with baratovite Katayamalite is the hydroxyl analogue of baratovite and the hydroxyl end member of the series, but was first described as a fluor-dominant mineral. Some scientists claim it to be rather hydroxyl- than fluor dominant, which would make baratovite isostructural with it. It would make the two minerals the same species, with baratovite having priority. As the case hadn't been clarified, katayamalite remains an IMA-approved mineral until this day.

Chemical properties Katayamalite mainly consists of oxygen (43.16%), silicon (24.25%), calcium (20.18%), but otherwise contains titanium (6.89%), potassium (2.81%), lithium (1.50%). It has trace amounts of fluorine (0.68%), sodium (0.41%) and hydrogen (0.11%) in its composition as well. It has a barely detectable radioactivity, 40.21 measured in Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units. The concentration of it in percentage is 2.49. It was originally described as having a triclinic symmetry in 1985, but the structure was redetermined to be monoclinic in 2013. It has a radiant blue-white fluorescence, and platy morphology.

Occurrence The mineral is associated with sugilite, albite and aegirine. Crystals are usually twinned. This mineral can be found in aegirine syenite.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Katayamalite

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Katayamalite 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 Katayamalite 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 Katayamalite 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 Katayamalite

In research: Katayamalite 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 Katayamalite 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: Katayamalite is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Cyclosilicates, Monoclinic minerals, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Katayamalite 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 Katayamalite in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Katayamalite 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 Katayamalite out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Katayamalite in simple terms?

Why does Katayamalite 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 Katayamalite?

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 Katayamalite.