Glossary · Minerals
Specific gravity
A mineral's density relative to water: quartz 2.65, calcite 2.71, barite 4.5, galena 7.5, gold 19.3.
A mineral's density relative to water: quartz 2.65, calcite 2.71, barite 4.5, galena 7.5, gold 19.3. Measured by weighing in air and in water; the test that separates heavy minerals and meteorites from look-alikes.
Sources
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Specific gravity" (Glossary). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-16. https://stratum.black/study/glossary/specific-gravity. Accessed 2026-09-20.
@misc{stratum-specific-gravity,
title = {Specific gravity},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/glossary/specific-gravity}},
year = {2026},
note = {Glossary article, Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-16; sources: stratum. Accessed 2026-09-20.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.