Orpiment facts for kids
Orpiment is a mineral. Its chemical formula is As2S3. It is an orange to yellow mineral. It has a Mohs hardness of 1.5 to 2 and a specific gravity of 3.46. It melts at 300°C and oxidizes to arsenic trioxide at higher temperatures. It is toxic because it gets a layer of arsenic trioxide on it by oxidation in the air.
Orpiment was used as a pigment because it was one of the only yellow pigments that they could find. It is used to remove hair from hides.
Images for kids
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Bright golden-yellow streak color of orpiment
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Orpiment from Racha, northern Georgia region
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Orpiment and realgar on a vuggy, quartz matrix, Nishinomaki Mine, Gunma Prefecture, Japan
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Orpiment from La Libertad, Quiruvilca, Peru
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El'brusskiy arsenic mine, Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Northern Caucasus Region, Russia
See also
In Spanish: Oropimente para niños
