Mineral Properties Flashcards
Natural chemical compounds that mix together to make rocks
Minerals
What are the four mineral criteria?
Uniform chemical formula
Internal crystal structure
Able to form in nature
Able to form without life
Example of a uniform chemical formula:
Quartz is always SiO2
Example of an internal crystal structure:
Quartz is hexagonal
What is NOT an example of being able to form in nature?
NOT AN EXAMPLE:
Cubic Zirconium
What is an example of being able to form without life?
Pearls and teeth
What is NOT an example of being able to form without life?
Coal and Amber
What is/an example of shared chemistry
Two different minerals can be made with the same element (carbon) and be arranged differently:
Diamond - networks
Graphite - sheets
What is/an example of shared structure?
Two different minerals can be made with the same arrangement (hexagon) but different elements
Quartz: SiO2
Ice: H2O
Mineral property easiest to see but least reliable due to impurities
Color
Mineral property that refers to the shine of the mineral surface
Luster
Color or scent of mineral when it is ground up into a fine dust on a streak plate
Streak
The ‘scratch test’ - a harder object can scratch any object equal to or softer than itself
Hardness (THIS METHOD DOES NOT LIE)
Sometimes (not always) the growth shape of a mineral resembles its internal crystal structure
Crystal Habit
Internal planes of weakness that can break minerals along distinctive surfaces
Cleavage
