Every Monday Mine - Water Zinc Mine

Sep 4, 2022

What I want to introduce to you today is the water-zinc mine that is like Baiyun being relegated to the world~~

What I want to introduce to you today is the water-zinc mine that looks like a white cloud.

Hydrozinc ore, also known as Zinc Hua, is a zinc carbonate mineral with the chemical formula Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6.
The crystals of hydrozinc ore are small flat or lath-like, and the crystals will gradually taper from bottom to top, showing a pointed shape.
However, it hardly forms obvious crystals, and is mostly produced in aggregated forms such as block, dense, grape-like or crusty.
This one in my family should be considered a grape-shaped one.

The more typical grape shape usually looks like this:

Image source: https://alightlove.com/shop/%E6%B0%B4%E9%8B%85%E7%A4%A60428a/

The color of hydrozinc is mostly white or light gray, although yellow and pink have also appeared, with a pearl to silk luster.
When it is irradiated with ultraviolet rays, a fluorescent reaction sometimes occurs.

Image source: https://shopee.tw/%EF%BC%8E%E8%89%BE%E8%8E%89%E5%B8%8C%E4%BA%9E%E5%AF%B6%E7% 9F%B3%E6%B0%B4%E6%99%B6%EF%BC%8E03%E6%B0%B4%E9%8B%85%E7%A4%A6-Hydrozincite-332g-%E5%B8%B6 %E8%9E%A2%E5%85%89%E5%8F%8D%E6%87%89-i.8637532.8018687939

This is because the main component of hydrozinc ore is zinc, which accounts for about 70% of the entire mineral composition.
Zinc belongs to the "first transition system" of the transition metal elements in the chemical element table (scandium titanium vanadium chromium manganese iron cobalt nickel copper zinc).
When the zinc atom receives a high-energy band such as ultraviolet light, its electrons will instantly go high, changing from the most stable "ground state" to the "excited state" that I release myself like every Friday night.
But just like I haven't spent TGIF(QQ) every day, the excited state electrons are located in high-energy orbitals, and the very unstable state cannot be maintained for a long time. I always want to return to the quiet and stable days.
So it went back to the ground state and released the energy it had received.
And this energy is what we see as fluorescent light.
(The small chemistry classroom opens lar~)

Speaking of which, let's take a look at the beauty of the water zinc mine to refresh the mind (?!).

Even though the water-zinc mine is round and cute, it is a carbonate mineral that dissolves in acid. It is very fragile and not suitable for hands-on play.
If you love it every day, then it will probably turn into a puddle of spring water and melt in your palm.

The alias of water-zinc mine is also called "Zinc Hua", a strange flower that grows in zinc secondary deposits.
But its appearance and characteristics always remind me of the white clouds on the horizon.
Maybe Yun Duo made a mistake and was banished to the mortal world, so it should be like this.
I wonder if this cloud has lost its carefree life and has been imprisoned in my mineral collection box since then. Will it feel deeply regretful for the mistakes it made in the sky?