2007-10-20 04:14:55 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Agriculture
I couldn' t find a category for what I have.
The item I have was found stuck in a drill bit that they drill for oil under the sea with, it is about 1/2 inch in size, jet black and you can't mark it or break it with a hammer, I don't know where to take it to find out what it is.
It is not molten lava.
I have had it for 30 years and always wondered what this small hard object was that could stop an oil rig drill bit.
2007-10-20 05:33:05 · update #1
I'm afraid I don't know very much about metals but enough to know that there are three tests to identify them - filing, colour and chipping. Your description doesn't fall under any of these three categories so there is always the possibility that it is a piece of a meteorite. The site below tells you a bit about them and identifying them - maybe one of the pictures there is similar to what you have. Loads of meteorites fall to Earth and many of them contain metals not natural to this planet.
http://epswww.unm.edu/iom/ident/index.html
Also another way to identify it might be to take it to a Geologist. I wouldn't know specifically where to find one but you could always go to a University and they would have contacts through their Science department, they might even have someone who could help you.
Good Luck!
2007-10-20 09:19:42 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think we need more of a clue. Maybe you need to say whether it is alive, whether a farm animal dropped it on the ground, or whether you just dug it up out of a field. So far the only clue is that you posted this under Agriculture.
2007-10-20 11:23:32 · answer #2 · answered by Rich Z 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if it was found in an oil drill bit it might be a fom of old petrefied oil ,tar, or sluge that in time it hardened and the oil bit piked it up while drilling
2007-10-20 12:42:37 · answer #3 · answered by Larry A 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds to me like Tektite, a very hard mineral that is actually one of the non-metalic forms of meteorite. Jet black & very hard & dense.
2007-10-21 10:49:34 · answer #4 · answered by okie's back 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What does it look like? Is it bigger than a bread box? Does it move on it's own power? Are there any markings? What color is it? Where do you keep it? Etc........What do you feed it? Do you clean up after it?Is it older than you?
2007-10-20 11:40:53 · answer #5 · answered by oldknowitall 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It could be some type of mineral or gemstone. http://gemologyforum.com/ is a gemologist forum and they may be able to help you. Have you tried to cut glass with it?
2007-10-22 00:48:18 · answer #6 · answered by kcpaull 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you might take a sample to the nearest collage to you and go to the geology department and ask them for help
2007-10-20 17:00:44 · answer #7 · answered by hill bill y 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋