Acanthite vs Galena
Acanthite and Galena are genuine alternatives to one another — a choice somebody actually makes — and differ on 4 measured properties, crystal system most clearly.
Acanthite vs Galena
Acanthite
Ag2S
Silver sulfide — the principal silver ore, and the mineral behind the silver rushes that built cities.
Galena
PbS
Lead sulfide — heavy, metallic, splitting into perfect cubes, and the ore that has supplied nearly all the world's lead since antiquity.
| Property | Acanthite | Galena |
|---|---|---|
| Cleavage Only one of the two has a figure we can stand behind, so there is nothing to compare. | Not known | perfect in three directions at right angles, giving cubes |
| Crystal system Categorical values can be listed side by side but not ordered or subtracted. | monoclinic | cubic |
| Density | 7.2–7.4 g/cm³ | 7.2–7.6 g/cm³ higher |
| Lustre Categorical values can be listed side by side but not ordered or subtracted. | metallic | metallic |
| Mohs hardness Mohs hardness is an ordinal scale: values can be ranked, but differences and ratios between them are not meaningful. | 2–2.5 | 2.5–2.75 higher |
| Streak Categorical values can be listed side by side but not ordered or subtracted. | black | lead grey |