Constituent
Name
Plagioclase Ab86
IMA name
Albite-Anorthite series
Class
silicate mineral
Compound type
tektosilicate
Comments
Plagioclase is a wider series $(Na,Ca)(Si,Al)_4O_8$ of the feldspar group
Relevance
main - major
Arrangement
homogeneous in multi-phases
Mass fraction
0.113 $\pm$ 0.004
Formula
$(Na_{0.86},Ca_{0.14})(Al_{0.14},Si_{0.86})AlSi_2O_8$
Chemical formula
((Na)0.86(Ca)0.14)((Al)0.14(Si)0.86)AlSi2O8
Elemental formula
Na0.86 Ca0.14 Al1.14 Si2.86 O8
Isotope mixture type
terrestrial abundance
  Formula Name Family Number min-max Isotope mole fraction State Relevance
$Na$ Sodium element 0.86 1.0 constituent element main
$Ca$ Calcium element 0.14 1.0 constituent element main
$Al$ Aluminium element 1.14 1.0 constituent element main
$Si$ Silicon element 2.86 1.0 constituent element main
$O$ Oxygen element 8 1.0 constituent element main
Composition comments
Common replacement: K (limited solid solution) - Common impurities: Ti, Fe, Mg, H2O
Oxides
Formula $Na_{2}O$ $CaO$ $K_{2}O$ $Al_{2}O_{3}$ $SiO_{2}$
Mass fraction (%)

Strunz

Class
silicates (09)
Division
tektosilicate without zeolitic H2O (09.F)
Family
without additional non-tetrahedral anions, (Al,B):Si = 1:1 (09.FA)
Code
09.FA.35

Dana

Major class
silicates (VIII)
Class
tectosilicate Al-Si framework (76)
Type
with Al-Si frameworks (76.01)
Group
Plagioclase series (76.01.03)
Phase type
amorphous
Crystal system
amorphous
Crystal class
pinacoidal
Crystal class symbol
-1 (Ci)
Crystal spacegroup
P-1
Molar mass
263.02 - 277.41 $g/mol$
Density
2.61 - 2.76 $g/cm^3$
Refringence type
biaxial
Refringence sign
positive or negative
Birefringence
0.009 - 0.012
Refraction index $n_{\alpha}$
1.528 - 1.576
Refraction index $n_{\beta}$
1.532 - 1.583
Refraction index $n_{\gamma}$
1.538 - 1.588
Dispersion V
weak to relatively weak
Color
white, gray, bluish white, reddish white, greenish white
Diaphaneity
transparent to subtranslucent
Luster
vitreous