New 3D Crystal System Model Page



Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many classes have been forced to adapt to online teaching. I myself am adapting some mineralogy lab materials to online and found that this blog can provide a platform for supplemental material. This includes a new page in the Mineralogy Course Links page: "Bearded Geology's 3D Crystal System Model" page. 

This new page includes interactive 3D models of the six crystal systems (sorry, trigonal). These are designed to provide interactive examples of the rotational axes and mirror planes in these crystal systems when the infamous wood block models are not available. 

All but two models were designed by me using Microsoft Paint3D, and all rotational axes and mirror planes were added by me as well. The tetragonal model is from Microsoft's 3D Library and the triclinic model is modified from the SketchUp 3D library. Next to each model, I've included a link to download each of them in .GLB format for personal or educational use on their own computer, or to print a 3D model for your own (although each model needs to be scaled appropriately).

I'm not sure if I'll be including more 3D models or other lab material just yet. But, in the meantime, brush up on your crystallography here.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Norphlet Crater: When A Good Well Goes Bad

Image
Hidden in the woods of Union County, Arkansas, a large unassuming sinkhole housing a small pond called the Norphlet Crater was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. Although it's easy to overlook, this hole in the ground has quite a story to tell about the early days of the oil and gas industry in Arkansas and a gas well that could not be tamed. Topographic map view of Norphlet Crater In 1922, two years following the Hill No. 1 gas well drilled by Constantine Oil and Refining Company near El Dorado, Arkansas, oil and gas production in the area expanded dramatically and El Dorado became the hub for the petroleum industry in Arkansas. Small independent oil companies and major companies with internationally recognized names, such as Shell and Standard Oil, were all drilling in Union County, Arkansas. In the pine covered hills and farmland about eight miles northwest of El Dorado, near the small town of Norphlet, a cotton field [1] on a farm own
Read more

The Fatal First Natural Gas Well in Southern Arkansas

Image
At 2:10 pm on Thursday, April 22, 1920, the small town of El Dorado, in Union County, Arkansas was busily going about its day. Over a dozen miles northwest, a drilling rig had just finished drilling the first productive oil well in Arkansas six days prior, the Hunter No. 1. However, just two miles [1]  southwest of town was another well being drilled that was going to make headlines as the first productive gas well in southern Arkansas.  Top left: land owners, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hill. Center: the Hill No. 1 well blowing water, gas, and mud into the air. Bottom right: Constantine Oil and Refining geologist, J. J. Victor. [2] The Hill No. 1 well (Sec. 1, T.18S., R.16W.) operated by Constantine Oil and Refining Company of Tulsa, Oklahoma drilled to 2,226 feet, when it became an "unexpected 'gusher'" and a "great 'gasser'" [3] . The Monroe News-Star newspaper of Monroe, Louisiana reported that it received a kick (i.e. anomalous influx of
Read more

Naturally Historical Coins from the UK

Image
Just recently, I found out that The Royal Mint of the United Kingdom is releasing three versions of a newly designed 50 pence coin. These coins celebrate the grandmother of paleontology, Mary Anning. Coincidentally, Anning is the focus of a new film, "Ammonite" also (full disclosure: I've yet to see the film, but it seems to be loosely based on Anning's life, much of which is unknown to us today, particularly her romantic life). These coins bear the illustrations of an two marine reptiles, a Plesiosaurus and an icthyosaur called Temnodontosaurus, and a flying reptile called Dimorphodon. All three lived during the Jurassic Period and were discovered by Anning in the early 1800s. The Royal Mint even offers color imbued and gold versions of these coins for a higher price. After finding out about the Mary Anning coins, I immediately found out that The Royal Mint had also produced three versions of the 50 pence coin featuring dinosaurs in 2019! I immediately opened my wall
Read more