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Material Reducer

Material Reducer

The material reducer is a block used in chemistry to learn about the natural world, by reducing Minecraft blocks to the elements that they contain.

9 min read Updated 3 views
Blocks Stackable resources Non-renewable resources Bedrock Edition Utility blocks Minecraft Education Block entities Blocks with GUI
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Contents (16)
  1. Obtaining
  2. Breaking
  3. Usage
  4. Sounds
  5. Data values
  6. ID
  7. Block states
  8. History
  9. Bedrock Edition
  10. Minecraft Education
  11. Issues
  12. Trivia
  13. Gallery
  14. Renders
  15. Screenshots
  16. Other
This page describes an education-related feature.
This feature is available only in Minecraft Education or when enabling the "Minecraft Education features" cheat setting in Bedrock Edition.
Material Reducer
Material Reducer.png: Infobox image for Minecraft block 'Material Reducer'
Invicon Material Reducer.png: Inventory sprite for Material Reducer in Minecraft as shown in-game with description: Material Reducer
Renewable No
Stackable Yes (64)
Tool
Blast resistance 2
Hardness 2.5
Luminous No
Transparent No
Waterloggable Yes
Flammable No
Catches fire
from lava
No
Note block instrument Default (Harp)

The material reducer is a block used in chemistry to learn about the natural world, by reducing Minecraft blocks to the elements that they contain.

Obtaining

Material reducers can be obtained from the Creative inventory. They cannot be obtained in Survival without commands. In Bedrock Edition, the world must also have the "Education Edition" setting enabled.

Breaking

A material reducer can be mined with any tool, but pickaxes are faster.

Block Material Reducer
Hardness 2.5
Tool
Breaking time (sec)[A]
Default 3.75 (JE)
3.75 (BE)
ItemSprite wooden-pickaxe.png: Sprite image for wooden-pickaxe in MinecraftWooden 1.9 (JE)
1.9 (BE)
ItemSprite stone-pickaxe.png: Sprite image for stone-pickaxe in MinecraftStone 0.95 (JE)
0.95 (BE)
ItemSprite copper-pickaxe.png: Sprite image for copper-pickaxe in MinecraftCopper 0.75 (JE)
0.75 (BE)
ItemSprite iron-pickaxe.png: Sprite image for iron-pickaxe in MinecraftIron 0.65 (JE)
0.65 (BE)
ItemSprite diamond-pickaxe.png: Sprite image for diamond-pickaxe in MinecraftDiamond 0.5 (JE)
0.5 (BE)
ItemSprite netherite-pickaxe.png: Sprite image for netherite-pickaxe in MinecraftNetherite 0.45 (JE)
0.45 (BE)
ItemSprite golden-pickaxe.png: Sprite image for golden-pickaxe in MinecraftGolden 0.35 (JE)
0.35 (BE)
Legend
  • incorrect tool, drops nothing
  • correct tool, drops nothing or something other than the block itself
  • correct tool, drops the block itself
  • italicized can be instant mined
  1. ↑ These durations ignore any other influential factors (e.g., Mining Fatigue) and are measured in seconds. For more information, see Breaking § Mining efficiency.

Usage

This section needs to be updated.
Please update this section to reflect recent updates or newly available information. The talk page may contain suggestions.
Reason: Verify if some blocks work in the Material Reducer or not
The interface of the material reducer

Using the material reducer opens an interface of 10 inventory slots. The central slot at the top is the input, where blocks can be placed in order to break them down into their component parts. When this happens, the output slots fill up with the percentage of elements found in the broken down material.

Certain blocks such as soul sand and netherrack contain mysterious elements yet to be discovered. These are represented by an unknown element that displays as other elements, but with a question mark in place of a periodic table symbol. If you take out a few elements, but keep some in too, then the block you placed will have the missing model item, which you cannot place in the inventory.

The interface of a material reducer after an element is taken out

When an element is taken from one of the output slots, the input slot gets cleared, and if there are elements in other output slots, the input slot becomes red and does not accept further input until all of the outputs are cleared.

Any block broken down in the material reducer gives out 100 different elements.

Products
Block/item Components Notes

Any Overworld Logs except Mangrove, Cherry, Pale Oak, or Poplar
Any Overworld Stripped Logs except Mangrove, Cherry, Pale Oak, or Poplar
Any Overworld Wood except Mangrove, Cherry, Pale Oak, or Poplar
Any Overworld Stripped Wood except Mangrove, Cherry, Pale Oak, or Poplar
Any Overworld Wooden Planks except Mangrove, Cherry, Pale Oak, or Poplar
Any Overworld Wooden Stairs except Mangrove, Cherry, Pale Oak, or Poplar
Any Overworld Wooden Slabs except Mangrove, Cherry, Pale Oak, or Poplar

Carbon ×49
Hydrogen ×6
Oxygen ×44
Nitrogen

The formula mirrors the chemical compositions of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, the three main components of wood.

Grass Block
Mycelium

Carbon ×15
Oxygen ×70
Nitrogen ×8
Phosphorus ×7

These four elements are found in all life forms on Earth.

Dirt

Silicon ×21
Calcium ×8
Phosphorus ×3
Nitrogen ×3
Iron ×13
Magnesium ×6
Zinc ×2
Copper ×2
Oxygen ×42

The results depict dirt as a mixture of inorganic rocks and decaying organic material, although there is too little oxygen to form the compounds found in real-life dirt such as calcium carbonate.

Andesite
Diorite
Granite
Polished Andesite
Polished Diorite
Polished Granite
Gravel
Obsidian
Red Sand
Red Sandstone, all variants
Sand
Sandstone, all variants
Stone
Block of Quartz
Quartz Pillar
Chiseled Quartz Block
Smooth Quartz Block
Quartz Stairs
Quartz Slab
Smooth Quartz Stairs
Smooth Quartz Slab
Nether Quartz Ore
Nether Quartz

Silicon ×33
Oxygen ×67

The results approximate SiO2, the chemical formula for silicon dioxide, the mineral quartz. Silicon and oxygen are the primary atomic elements of silicate minerals. Many of these real life rocks are composed of silicate minerals, not just SiO2.

Cobblestone
Cobblestone Stairs
Cobblestone Slab
Cobblestone Wall
Lava Bucket
Magma Block

Oxygen ×47
Silicon ×28
Aluminum ×8
Iron ×5
Calcium ×4
Sodium ×3
Potassium ×3
Magnesium ×2

These elements are all commonly found in silicate minerals. The abundances of these elements are the average composition of earth's crust and close to the average composition of real life Andesite

Mossy Cobblestone
Mossy Cobblestone Wall

Oxygen ×45
Silicon ×28
Aluminum ×8
Iron ×5
Calcium ×4
Sodium ×3
Potassium ×3
Magnesium ×2
Carbon ×2

Similar to regular cobblestone. Mossy cobblestone has carbon to account for the moss.

Clay
Terracotta
Any Glazed Terracotta

Silicon ×77
Aluminum ×17
Iron ×3
Magnesium
Calcium
Oxygen

These results reflect the formulae of many real-life clays, although real-life clay contains much more oxygen.

Water Bucket
Ice
Packed Ice
Blue Ice
Snow Block
Snowball
Snow

Hydrogen ×67
Oxygen ×33

The results approximate H2O, the chemical formula for water.

Coal Ore
Coal
Block of Coal

Hydrogen ×6
Carbon ×50
Oxygen ×43
Nitrogen

The results mirror the composition of coal, although real-life coal contains much less oxygen.

Iron Ore

Iron ×64
Silicon ×12
Oxygen ×24

A mixture of pure (elemental) iron and silicate rock. In real life, iron ore usually contains oxidized iron, so the formula would contain much more oxygen.

Gold Ore
Gold ×64
Silicon ×12
Oxygen ×24

A mixture of pure gold and silicate rock. As gold is chemically inert, it is always naturally found in its elemental form.

Diamond Ore
Carbon ×64
Silicon ×12
Oxygen ×24

A mixture of pure carbon and silicate rock. Diamond is composed of pure carbon, and takes billions of years to form deep underground.

Lapis Lazuli Ore
Lapis Lazuli
Block of Lapis Lazuli

Sodium ×13
Sulfur ×8
Aluminum ×13
Oxygen ×53
Silicon ×13

The formula roughly corresponds to lazurite, the main component of lapis lazuli.

Redstone Ore
Redstone Dust
Block of Redstone

Carbon ×31
Uranium ×31
??? ×38

The formula implies that Redstone is made out of uranium methanide and an unknown element, thus it is radioactive.

Emerald Ore
Emerald
Block of Emerald

Aluminum ×15
Beryllium ×25
Silicon ×20
Oxygen ×40

The formula roughly corresponds to beryl, the main component of emerald.

Iron Ingot
Iron Nugget
Block of Iron

Iron ×100

The results mirror the composition of 100% pure iron.

Gold Ingot
Gold Nugget
Block of Gold

Gold ×100

The results mirror the composition of 100% pure gold.

Diamond
Block of Diamond

Carbon ×100

The results mirror the composition of 100% pure diamond.

Netherrack
Silicon ×64
Oxygen ×18
Mercury ×15
??? ×3

A mixture of silicate rock and mercury. Mercury(II) oxide (HgO) is red to orange in color, although these results contain too little oxygen for any of this compound to form.

End Stone
Silicon ×59
Carbon ×13
??? ×28

The approximate formula is Si4C. Although, it is similar to the mineral SiC (carborundum).

Glowstone
Glowstone Dust

Argon ×20
Boron ×20
Krypton ×20
Neon ×20
??? ×20

These three gases are noble gases, which are commonly used in neon lights to produce vibrant colors.

Soul Sand
Silicon ×37
Oxygen ×3
??? ×60

Soul sand is mostly composed of an unknown element, due to its paranormal composition.

Ink Sac
Iron
Sulfur
Oxygen ×4

This formula roughly corresponds to Iron (II) sulfate, an inorganic dark dye, which is not found in any species of real-life squid.

Sugar
Carbon ×6
Hydrogen ×12
Oxygen ×6

The results approximate C6H12O6, the chemical formula for a simple sugar.

Charcoal
Carbon ×7
Hydrogen ×4
Oxygen

The results approximate C7H4O, the chemical formula for charcoal.

Chiseled Sulfur
Polished Sulfur
Potent Sulfur
Sulfur
Sulfur Bricks

Sulfur ×100

The results mirror the composition of 100% pure sulfur.

Cinnabar
Polished Cinnabar
Cinnabar Bricks
Chiseled Cinnabar

Mercury ×50
Sulfur ×50

The results mirror the composition of HgS, the chemical formula for mercury sulfide.

Note that amethyst-related blocks and items, crying obsidian, copper-related blocks and items, sulfur-related blocks and items, mud-related blocks, coarse dirt, raw ore blocks and items, calcite, deepslate-related blocks, dripstone, basalt, blackstone, tuff-related blocks, cinnabar-related blocks, iron, gold, and diamond equipment, doors, and trapdoors cannot be put into a material reducer, despite them being related to blocks that can.

All compounds that can be made in the compound creator and lab table can also be reduced in the material reducer, yielding their respective ingredients.

Sounds

BlockSprite stone.png: Sprite image for stone in Minecraft stone sound type
SoundClosed captionsSourceDescriptionIdentifierTranslation keyVolumePitch
​Block brokenBlocksOnce the block has brokendig.stonesubtitles.block.generic.break​1.00.8–1.0
​Block placedBlocksWhen the block is placedplace.stonesubtitles.block.generic.place​1.00.8–1.0
​Block breakingBlocksWhile the block is in the process of being brokenhit.stonesubtitles.block.generic.hit​0.370.5
​FootstepsPlayersFalling on the block with fall damagefall.stonesubtitles.block.generic.footsteps​0.41.0
​FootstepsPlayersWalking on the blockstep.stonesubtitles.block.generic.footsteps​0.31.0
​FootstepsBlocksJumping from the blockjump.stonesubtitles.block.generic.footsteps​0.121.0
​FootstepsBlocksFalling on the block without fall damageland.stonesubtitles.block.generic.footsteps​0.221.0

Data values

ID

NameIdentifierAlias ID Numeric ID FormItem ID[i 1] Translation key
BlockSprite material-reducer.png: Sprite image for material-reducer in Minecraft Material Reducermaterial_reducerchemistry_table / 41241Block & Giveable Item[i 2]Identical[i 3]
(Numeric: -986)
tile.materialreducer.name
  1. ↑ ID of block's direct item form, which is used in savegame files and addons.
  2. ↑ Available with /give command.
  3. ↑ The block's direct item form has the same ID as the block.

Block states

See also: Block states
NameMetadata Bits Default value Allowed valuesValues for
Metadata Bits
Description
direction0x1
0x2
00
1
2
3
0
1
2
3
The direction the block's front is.
  • 0: north
  • 1: east
  • 2: south
  • 3: west

History

Bedrock Edition

Bedrock Edition
1.4.0beta 1.2.20.1 Added material reducers.
beta 1.2.20.2 Pocket UI screens have been added to material reducers.
1.21.30Preview 1.21.30.23 The different chemistry table type block states for the chemistry_table ID have been split up into their own IDs.
1.21.50Preview 1.21.50.24 Mining a material reducer without a pickaxe is now faster.

Minecraft Education

Minecraft Education
1.0.27 Added material reducers.

Issues

Issues relating to "Material Reducer" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Trivia

  • There is currently a glitch in the material reducer's GUI: When the input slot becomes red, the "tubes" that are connected to it are sometimes rendered over the red square, which causes the image to flick between the normal square and the tubes.

Renders

Screenshots

Other

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