halite

{{Infobox mineral | name = Halite | category = Halide mineral | boxwidth = | boxbgcolor =#e8e8e8 | image = Halit (NaCl) - Kopalnia soli Wieliczka, Polska.jpg | imagesize = 260px | caption = Halite from the Wieliczka salt mine, Małopolskie, Poland | formula = NaCl | IMAsymbol = Hl | molweight = 58.433g/mol | strunz = 3.AA.20 | system = Cubic | class = Hexoctahedral (mm) H-M symbol: (4/m 2/m) | symmetry = Fmm | unit cell = | color = Colorless or white when pure. Impurities produce any color but usually yellow, gray, black, brown, red (Depends on isotopes and purity for various colours) | habit = Predominantly cubes and in massive sedimentary beds, but also granular, fibrous and compact | twinning = | cleavage = Perfect {001}, three directions cubic | fracture = Conchoidal | tenacity = Brittle | mohs = 2.0–2.5 | luster = Vitreous | refractive = | opticalprop = Isotropic | birefringence = | pleochroism = | streak = White | gravity = 2.17 | density = | melt = 800.7°C | fusibility = | diagnostic = | solubility = Water-soluble | diaphaneity = Transparent to Translucent | other = Salty flavor, may be fluorescent | references = }}

Halite ( ), commonly known as rock salt, is a type of salt, the mineral (natural) form of sodium chloride (NaCl). Halite forms isometric crystals. The mineral is typically colorless or white, but may also be light blue, dark blue, purple, pink, red, orange, yellow or gray depending on inclusion of other materials, impurities, and structural or isotopic abnormalities in the crystals. It commonly occurs with other evaporite deposit minerals such as several of the sulfates, halides, and borates. The name halite is derived from the Ancient Greek word for "salt", ().