naturalplastic wrote:
QuantumChemist wrote:
I found a video that details how to test one in the field. A neodymium magnet can be used for the initial test.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Bhlbntm3-tEThe OP might have a non-metallic/non-stone one, which would be very rare in type. It would likely not be attracted to a magnet. Most of them are either nearly pure metallic or stony (contains iron).
WHAT?
There are meteorites that are neither metal nor stone? What else would a naturally occurring space object be made of?
Comets are mostly ice, but they dont hit the ground before melting (unless theyre so big that they do hit...and cause a mass-extinction).
Something like impure diamond could form in outer space. Yes, technically a stone, but not what many would consider that a meteorite could be made of. SiO2 can exist in space materials and forms glass when heated high enough. In crystalline form, it is called quartz on Earth. Semi metallic elements combined with non-metals can form some odd materials under extreme conditions. Basically anything from uranium down can be possibly found in space. It just happens that the majority of elements are metals, leading to the over abundance of metal meteorites. Our sun tends to stop at iron for its nuclear addition reactions, so heavier elements come from other sources.