earth science

Wöhlerite

Wöhlerite 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 Wöhlerite rather than just read about it. In short: Wöhlerite, also known as woehlerite or wohlerite, is a member of the Wöhlerite group. It was named after German chemist Friedrich Wöhler.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Wöhlerite, also known as woehlerite or wohlerite, is a member of the Wöhlerite group. It was named after German chemist Friedrich Wöhler. It was first described by Scheerer in 1843, but the crystal structure was only solved by Mellino & Merlino in 1979. Once approved, it was grandfathered by the IMA.

Properties Wöhlerite shows pleochroic attributes, which is an optical phenomenon. Depending on which axis the mineral is being viewed, it would appear as if it is changing colors. Looking at the mineral from the x and y axis, it appears as a nearly colorless to pale yellow one, while viewing it on the z axis, it takes up a wine-yellow color. It is a granular mineral, and has prismatic crystals that can grow up to 3 cm. It is thick and tabular on {100}. Brøgger listed these forms to be the more frequent ones are {210}, {130}, {120}, {110}, {101}, {100}, {011}, {001}, {-101} and {-111} in 1890, although other forms observed include {720}, {311}, {121}, {111}, {021}, {012}, {010}, {-121}, {-161}, {-201}, {-211}, {-212} and {-221}. It has a paragenetic mode of syenites. Some of the associated minerals include zircon, microcline, nepheline, spreustein (natrolite after nepheline or sodalite), and the pyrochlore group. It is an accessory mineral in nepheline syenites, and in fenites it is associated with alkaline intrusives. In late phase it can be found in alkalic pegmatites, and it can also be found in carbonatites. It mainly consists of oxygen (35.22%) and calcium (19.26%) but otherwise includes silicon (14.21%), zirconium (11.54%), niobium (9.40%), sodium (5.82%), fluorine (2.88%) and iron (1.41%). The fracture of it is brittle and splintery, meaning that the brittle fracture leaves splintery crystal fragments. Since it is granular, it occurs in matrix in anhedral to subhedral crystals. It is a prismatic and tabular mineral as mentioned above, meaning crystal shape is typically a slender prism, and its dimensions are thin in one direction. Upon inspecting it under both long wave and short wave ultraviolet light, the mineral does not show luminescent properties. It is also not radioactive.

Formation and mining The type locality is Løvøya, Norway. It was first described from several syenite pegmatites by Scheerer, and although the type locality is unknown, the island became listed as the type locality since it was mentioned by Scheerer. Although it is described for mainly appearing in alkalic rocks, there are reports of wöhlerite's carbonatite occurrence. This rare mineral occurs in calcite-silicate rocks with varying composition. The composition of the host rocks vary due to their heterogeneous nature. The mixed rocks form the complex's western margin of the central sövitic carbonatite intrusion. They are representing the intrusion's magmatic border facies.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Wöhlerite

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

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

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Wöhlerite in simple terms?

Wöhlerite, also known as woehlerite or wohlerite, is a member of the Wöhlerite group. It was named after German chemist Friedrich Wöhler.

Why does Wöhlerite 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 Wöhlerite?

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 Wöhlerite.