Mineral Factbook

Tenorite

CuOIMA symbol: Tnrapproved

Tenorite is an oxide or hydroxide mineral with the formula CuO, crystallizing in the monoclinic system. It has a Mohs hardness of 3-4, typically black or gray in color, with a dull or earthy luster, a specific gravity of 5.825. Its streak is black.

Photos

Tenorite specimen photo
Jan Czeczotka · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
Tenorite specimen photo
Krzątała, Arkadiusz and Krüger, Biljana and Galuskina, Irina and Vapnik, Yevgeny and Galuskin, Evgeny · CC BY 4.0 · Commons
Tenorite specimen photo
James St. John · CC BY 2.0 · Commons
Tenorite specimen photo
Tõnis Saadre · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons

Crystallography

Crystal systemmonoclinic crystal systemWikidata (CC0)
Space groupC 1 2/c 1
Cell (Å, °)a = 4.6837, b = 3.4226, c = 5.1288; α = 90, β = 99.54, γ = 90
Cell volume81.08 ų, Z = 4
Axial ratios1.3685:1:1.4985calculated from COD 7212242
Source structureCOD 7212242 (CrystEngComm, 2010) — 1 of 17 structures

Powder X-ray diffraction (calculated)

2θ (degrees, Cu Kα1)I/I₀ (max 100)
d (Å)2.3222.5232.5291.8662.3091.505
I/I₀10080.129.929.723.322.6

xrd-v1: CuKa1 1.5406A, 2theta 5-90, top10, Imax=100, no DW/PO. Computed from COD 7212242; idealized occupancies, no preferred orientation.

Physical properties

Density (calculated)6.516 g/cm³calculated from COD 7212242
Hardness (Mohs)
3.5single sourceWikidata (CC0)
3-4single sourceDana, System of Mineralogy, 6th ed. (1892)
Specific gravity
5.825 g/cm3single sourceDana, System of Mineralogy, 6th ed. (1892)
Color
black, graysingle sourceDana, System of Mineralogy, 6th ed. (1892)
Streak
blacksingle sourceWikidata (CC0)
Luster
dull, earthy, metallicsingle sourceDana, System of Mineralogy, 6th ed. (1892)

Chemistry (calculated)

Molecular weight79.55 g/molcalculated from the IMA formula
Composition (wt%)Cu 79.89%, O 20.11%

Classification

Nickel-Strunz (10th)4.AB.10Wikidata (CC0)
Nickel-Strunz (9th)4.AB.10Wikidata (CC0)