Which mineral is commonly known as barium sulfate?

Barium sulfate is commonly recognized by its mineral name, barite. Barite is a heavy mineral with the chemical formula BaSO4, which reflects its composition of barium (Ba) and sulfate (SO4) ions. It is a significant mineral commercially for various applications, including as a weighting agent in drilling fluids for oil and gas exploration, and it is also used in the manufacturing of paints, rubber, and plastics due to its high density and non-toxic nature.

Other minerals listed, such as quartz, calcite, and gypsum, do not share this composition. Quartz is a form of silicon dioxide (SiO2), calcite is primarily calcium carbonate (CaCO3), and gypsum is a sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate (CaSO4·2H2O). Each of these minerals has distinct properties and uses, which differ from those of barite, making it essential to recognize barite specifically as the mineral that corresponds to barium sulfate.