Question

what mineral is found in tooth paste, all the physical properties of a mineral..., sulfur is formed near valcanos. what does it smell like?

Answer 1

Here are short, clear answers to each part of your question.

1) What mineral is found in toothpaste?
- Toothpaste contains several mineral-based ingredients. Common ones are:
- Calcium carbonate (CaCO3, often as calcite) — a mild abrasive.
- Hydrated silica (amorphous SiO2) — another abrasive/polisher.
- Dicalcium phosphate dihydrate — an abrasive and polishing agent.
- Hydroxyapatite (Ca5(PO4)3OH) — used in some “remineralizing” toothpastes and closely related to natural tooth enamel.
- Fluoride compounds (sodium fluoride, stannous fluoride, sodium monofluorophosphate) — these provide fluoride ions that help prevent decay. (Fluoride itself is an ion; mineral sources of fluoride include the mineral fluorite, CaF2.)
- So toothpaste often contains mineral abrasives and mineral-like ingredients; fluoride is usually added as a chemical compound rather than raw mineral.

2) All the physical properties of a mineral (common identification properties)
Below are the main physical properties geologists use to describe and identify minerals, with short definitions:
- Color — apparent color of the mineral (can be variable and misleading).
- Streak — color of the powdered mineral (obtained by rubbing on a streak plate).
- Luster — how light reflects from the surface (metallic, glassy, pearly, dull, etc.).
- Hardness — resistance to scratching (measured by the Mohs scale, 1–10).
- Cleavage — tendency to break along flat, parallel planes related to crystal structure.
- Fracture — pattern of breakage when cleavage is absent (conchoidal, uneven, splintery).
- Crystal form/habit — typical external shape or growth habit (cubic, prismatic, fibrous, massive).
- Specific gravity / density — mass per unit volume relative to water.
- Tenacity — resistance to deformation (brittle, malleable, sectile, elastic, flexible).
- Transparency / Diaphaneity — transparent, translucent, or opaque.
- Magnetism — attraction to a magnet (e.g., magnetite).
- Reaction to acid — effervescence with dilute hydrochloric acid (e.g., calcite fizzes).
- Taste and smell — rarely used (halite tastes salty; some sulfides smell when struck or heated).
- Fluorescence / phosphorescence — glow under ultraviolet light.
- Optical properties — refractive index, birefringence, pleochroism (important in thin section/mineral optics).
- Striations, twinning, and cleavage angles — finer diagnostic features.
These properties are used together because no single property uniquely identifies most minerals.

3) Sulfur formed near volcanoes — what does it smell like?
- Pure elemental sulfur itself has little or no strong odor. The strong “sulfur” smell you often notice around volcanoes (or hot springs) is mainly from volcanic gases:
- Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) smells like rotten eggs and is often responsible for the bad-egg odor.
- Sulfur dioxide (SO2) has a sharp, choking, acrid smell (and irritates eyes and lungs).
- So volcanic sulfurous areas typically smell like rotten eggs or a sharp, acrid burn because of H2S and SO2 rather than the smell of pure sulfur crystals.
- Safety note: those volcanic gases can be toxic (H2S and SO2 can be harmful even at low concentrations), so avoid breathing them directly.

If you want, I can:
- List specific toothpaste brands that use hydroxyapatite or stannous fluoride,
- Explain how each physical property is tested in practice, or
- Give more detail on volcanic sulfur deposits and how they form.