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Slaty cleavage (most distinctive feature), very fine grained. Colors vary- black, bluish black, gray-green, purple, dull red.

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Final Answer:

The rock description provided refers to slate, a fine-grained metamorphic rock known for its slaty cleavage and a range of colors including black, bluish-black, gray-green, purple, and dull red.

Step-by-step explanation:

Slate is a metamorphic rock that undergoes recrystallization under heat and pressure, resulting in its characteristic fine-grained texture and slaty cleavage, which is its most distinctive feature. The slaty cleavage allows the rock to be easily split into thin, flat sheets, making slate valuable for various applications such as roofing and flooring. The fine-grained nature of slate, denoted by the subscript fₒᵣ fᵢₙₑ gᵣₐᵢnₑd, contributes to its smooth texture and gives it a unique aesthetic appeal.

The colors mentioned, including black, bluish-black, gray-green, purple, and dull red, are indicative of the diverse mineral composition and impurities present in slate. The minerals responsible for these colors can vary, with chlorite contributing to green tones, hematite to red, and various other minerals influencing the overall color palette. The subscript and superscript styles are utilized to provide clarity in specifying the features of slate, emphasizing its distinct characteristics and the range of colors it can exhibit. Overall, slate's slaty cleavage, fine-grained texture, and diverse coloration make it a versatile and visually interesting metamorphic rock with practical applications in construction and design.

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