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Calcite facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
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Calcite
Calcite-unit-cell-3D-vdW
The unit cell of calcite

Calcite is one of the most widely distributed minerals on the Earth's surface. It is a common constituent of sedimentary rocks, limestone in particular. It is also the primary mineral in metamorphic marble.

It is a chemical or biochemical calcium carbonate corresponding to the formula CaCO3 and belongs to the carbonate mineral. One can find it as a vein mineral in deposits from hot springs, and in caverns as stalactites and stalagmites.

Calcite is often the primary constituent of the shells of marine organisms, e.g., plankton, the hard parts of red algae, some sponges, brachiopoda, echinoderms, most bryozoa, and parts of the shells of some bivalves (such as oysters and rudists).

Trilobites, which became extinct a quarter billion years ago, had unique compound eyes that used clear calcite crystals to form the lenses.

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Calcita para niños

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