[meteorite-list] Question -Sri Lankan density

[MexicoDoug at aol.com]

Hola Rob,

See my comments inside your text,

Rob Matson wrote:

>about the supposed iron fall in Sri Lanka:

D-Iron meteorite vs. stone meteorite might be a distinction we give too much classification system bias too.  Iron, might just mean it contains iron is the major finding here.

>"The object weighing 47.015 kg with a 4.75 specific 
> gravity was fallen..."

>Either the specific gravity is wrong (or in 
>unfamiliar units), or the mass is wrong, or 

D-Yes, I see why you are suspicious.  But, No, the specific gravity has NO units to be right or wrong about.  It is a dimensionless ratio.

>the object isn't an iron meteorite.  I suppose
>it could still be another type of meteorite 
>(meso or pallasite?)

I doubt this especially suggests pallasite though all possibility is wide open.  Even an incredible half volume % peridotted pallasite would have a density over 5.5...If you have ever tried to measure odd shaped big rocks' density like me not too long ago without a good method you know that it can be surprisingly hard,unless you are a crackerjack at Euclidean 3D geometry or dunk it in a graduated bucket of water.  The 4.75 sounds like it could also be a newspaper decimalization of 4 3/4 to me, not to two significant decimals.  So maybe it is a piece of hematitized something, but at least it is way above a density of three...a heavy rock or "iron"

Anyway...we'll find out soon enough:)
Saludos, Doug