Galena - Minerals Education Coalition

Home » What Is Galena Used For » Galena - Minerals Education Coalition

Maybe your like

Skip to content Return to Minerals Database Galena

Galena is a gray, cubic, shiny, dense mineral most commonly associated with lead. It is one of the earliest minerals used by humans, and one of the most abundant sulfide minerals on the Earth.

Type

Mineral

Mineral Classification

Sulfide

Streak

Gray

Mohs Hardness

2.5-2.75

Crystal System

PbS

Color

Gray

Luster

Metallic

Fracture

Subconchoidal

Description

Galena is a gray, cubic, shiny, dense mineral most commonly associated with lead.  It is one of the earliest minerals used by humans, and one of the most abundant sulfide minerals on the Earth.

Relation to Mining

Galena is still mined today in large quantities, not only for lead, but also for silver.

Uses

Due to its health risk, lead is no longer used in plumbing or paints, but has many applications such as batteries, or as a semi-conductor for radios and other electronic equipment. Lead vests are used in the medical industry as a protection from x-ray equipment.

Related topics:

Lead Minerals Lead SMART Lesson Sulfur Return to Minerals Database

MEC Spotlight

New Monumental Minerals Poster

The new 24” x 36” two-sided MEC Monumental Minerals poster showcases monuments from across the United States and the mined rocks, minerals and metals used to create them. Highlighting well-known monuments points out the importance of mined materials to the public and makes a great tie-in to the country’s 250th anniversary celebration in 2026. The multidisciplinary content of this poster includes science, social studies, history, geography, and art.

The front of the poster has images of diverse U.S. monuments and describes the materials mined and processed to make the monuments.

The reverse side of the poster has several activities that teachers, parents, and grandparents can do with students. “Build Your Own Monument” and the “Building Stones: Your Local Gateway to STEM” activities encourage students to consider what monuments mean and to research types of building stones used in their region.

Get yours, rolled or folded, from the MEC Store!

Show ButtonsShare On TwitterHide Buttons

Tag » What Is Galena Used For