nitre
Sign in to saveAlso known as niter, saltpeter
Niter or nitre is the mineral form of potassium nitrate, KNO3. It is a soft, white, highly soluble mineral found primarily in arid climates or cave deposits.
Key facts
- Mineral.luster
- Vitreous
- Mineral.mohs
- 2
- Mineral.name
- Niter
- Mineral.category
- Nitrates, oxide mineral
- Mineral.image
- Niter from Tarapaca, Chile (cropped).jpg
- Mineral.caption
- A piece of niter collected in Tarapaca, Chile
- Mineral.formula
- KNO3
- Mineral.IMAsymbol
- Nit
- Mineral.strunz
- 5.NA.10
- Mineral.dana
- 18.1.2.1
- Mineral.system
- Orthorhombic
- Mineral.class
- Dipyramidal (mmm) H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m)
- Mineral.symmetry
- Cmc21
- Mineral.color
- White
- Mineral.habit
- Druse or acicular
- Mineral.cleavage
- Very good on {001}; good on {010}
- Mineral.fracture
- Brittle
- Mineral.streak
- White
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Niter.jpg
Show 5 more facts
- Commons category
- Niter
- chemical formula
- KNO₃
- Nickel-Strunz 9th edition (updated 2009)
- 5.NA.10
- Nickel-Strunz '10th ed', review of (9th ed/ 2009 update)
- 5.NA.10
- IMA Mineral Symbol
- Nit
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~6 min read
Article
7 sectionsContents
- Characteristics
- History and etymology
- Availability
- Similar minerals
- See also
- References
- External links
{{Infobox mineral | name = Niter | category = Nitrates, oxide mineral | boxwidth = | boxbgcolor = | image = Niter from Tarapaca, Chile (cropped).jpg | caption = A piece of niter collected in Tarapaca, Chile | formula = KNO3 | IMAsymbol = Nit | molweight = | strunz = 5.NA.10 | dana = 18.1.2.1 | system = Orthorhombic | class = Dipyramidal (mmm) H-M symbol: (2/m 2/m 2/m) | symmetry = Cmc21 | color = White | habit = Druse or acicular | cleavage = Very good on {001}; good on {010} | fracture = Brittle | mohs = 2 | luster = Vitreous | refractive = | opticalprop = | birefringence = | pleochroism = | streak = White | gravity = 2.10 (calc.) | melt = | fusibility = | diagnostic = | solubility = Soluble | diaphaneity = Transparent | other = | references = }}
Niter or nitre is the mineral form of potassium nitrate, KNO3. It is a soft, white, highly soluble mineral found primarily in arid climates or cave deposits.