The Great White Part 7: Chalky Compounds Quiz

Answer: Titanium dioxide

You would be unable to find carbon dioxide or chlorine dioxide as a mineral - both are gases at room temperature (and the latter is a very unstable, strong oxidant used as a disinfectant). Silicon dioxide is ubiquitous as quartz and sand, among many other forms, but the substance asked for in this question is titanium dioxide. Its high reflectivity, especially in powdered form (which gives it its white color), can effectively protect an underlying material from light even with a thin layer. In spite of widespread use, some health concerns regarding titanium dioxide, particularly in nanoparticle form, exist.

Question submitted by WesleyCrusher.

Answer: Magnesium

Magnesium, with the atomic number 12, is the 9th most abundant element in the universe. It is also one of the 11 essential elements in the human body, necessary for proper bone formation, protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation. Joseph Black, a Scottish physicist and chemist, discovered magnesium in 1725 and named it for the Greek district of Magnesia. The compound magnesium carbonate is the white substance used by weightlifters and rock climbers to make their hands less slippery.

Question submitted by pitegny.

Answer: Painting

White spirit is the common British name for various substances made out of raw petroleum and used as solvent or cleaning agent. In the USA the name Stoddard solvent is used, while Australians and New-Zealanders prefer the name mineral turpentine and Canadians use the term mineral spirits. White spirits are mostly used to clean painting materials or to make paint more liquid before applying. The low boiling point excludes use in high-temperature processes as steel production. Food packagers prefer not using white spirit because it easily irritates, and in great quantities would be toxic.

Question submitted by JanIQ.

Answer: Calcite

A mineral is essentially a naturally occurring form of a chemical compound. Calcite has a crystalline structure and is a form of calcium carbonate that has the chemical formula CaCO3 - indicating that it consists of calcium, carbon and oxygen.

Much of northern Europe has underlying chalk deposits, which become strikingly obvious on exposed cliff faces, such as those along the south coast of England - including the famous White Cliffs of Dover - and the north coast of France.

On the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, talc represents level 1, gypsum is level 2 and quartz is at level 7.

Question submitted by Fifiona81.

Answer: soil stabilization and wind erosion mitigation

Magnesium chloride is a chemical compound with the formula MgCl. The hydrated magnesium chloride can be taken from brine or sea water, from such varied places as the Great Salt Lake in the USA and The Dead Sea in the Jordan Valley. It is then dried into crystals. Magnesium chloride is one of many substances used to dampen dust, to enhance soil stabilization, and combat wind erosion in open areas. Magnesium chloride may also be applied to roads, car parks and footpaths as a de-icing agent.

Question submitted by em1958.

Answer: Yule Marble

While many forms of marble appear to be white, Yule Marble is considered pure white. Yule Marble is found exclusively in the Elk Mountains of Colorado. It is pure, lustrous white and smooth. Yule Marble is very abundant in the Elk Mountains. However, the marble is found at very high altitudes which makes it very difficult to quarry. Some of America's most famous monuments, like the Lincoln Memorial, used Yule Marble in its construction.

Question submitted by Joepetz.

Answer: Milky opal

The milky opal (also called milk opal) is found in several places around the world, but mainly in the South Australian opal fields of Coober Pedy and Andamooka. Not as rare or expensive as the black opal, which is the same mineraloid but contains a black background, milky opal can be of extremely high quality. It is the play of colour which provides the appeal of an opal, and this tends to show more vividly in the black opal.

The world's most valuable gem opal, 'Olympic Australis', found at Coober Pedy in 1956 weighs a whopping 17,000 carats (7.5lb), and is an uncut almost pure crystal-white opal.

Question submitted by Windrush

Answer: Platinum

Sperrylite is the most commonly occurring ore of platinum. It is named after the American chemist, Francis Louis Sperry, who first discovered it in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada in the late 19th century. The Sudbury basin continues to be one of the major sources of this mineral. Sperrylite has a metallic white colour and a hardness of around 6-7 on the Moh's scale, similar to quartz.

Question submitted by zorba_scank.

Answer: Salt

Evidence of salt processing dates back to around 6,000 BC in areas such as Romania and China. Salt was important in ancient cultures and was used for both trade and wages. Of the salt produced each year, only approximately six percent is used for human consumption.

Question submitted by Lones78.

Answer: Skin rashes

Zinc oxide has soothing and antibacterial properties, making it a very common active component in over the counter skin ointments to treat local rashes, mild burns and itching. It is also used in some hair-care products because of anti-dandruff activity, but that use has to be carefully dosed because zinc oxide is a very effective white pigment and, in too high a concentration, could cause dark hair to appear grey.

Question submitted by WesleyCrusher.