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Vocabulary Building Blocks: (46 Down) pyrite (Noun) A metallic, pale yellow iron disulfide; a source of sulfuric acid. From the Latin: from the Greek: pyrites (lithos) fire (stone). Other words in the English language using the prefix pyr- or pyro- have a meaning relating to fire or heat, such as pyrogen, pyrosis, pyrostat, pyrochemistry, pyroelectricity, and others.
The mineral pyrite has a metallic yellow luster, giving it a similar
appearance to gold, thus the synonym, "fool's gold". Prospectors mistake the
mineral for gold, as it often occurs in the same areas as gold and copper.
However, it can be distinguished from gold by its hardness, (in mineralogy,
hardness is determined by the resistance of the smooth surface of a mineral to
scratching).
Did You Know? (28 Down) Niels Bohr, 1885-1962, was a famous Danish physicist whose name is often found in crossword puzzles because
of the unusual combination of letters B-O-H-R. Bohr studied atomic
structure and radiations. His theory of atomic structure, for which he won the
1922 Nobel Prize in physics, was a major contribution to the knowledge of
physics. The chemical element with atomic number 107, bohrium, is named in
his honor.
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