A mineral compound that contains half the water molecules of a fully hydrated form.
From 'hemi-' (half) + 'hydro' (water). In mineralogy and chemistry, this prefix indicates a specific ratio of water molecules bonded to other compounds.
Hemihydrate plaster is what your doctor uses for casts—it has exactly half the water of gypsum's full hydrate, making it perfect for hardening but flexible enough to apply smoothly!
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