Earth Science Vocab 5

Question 1

Compound

Answer 1

composed of two or more elements that are chemically combined.

Question 2

Ion

Answer 2

an electrically charged atom or group of atoms.

Question 3

Mineral

Answer 3

a naturally occurring inorganic solid with a distinct chemical composition and crystalline structure.

Question 4

Crystal

Answer 4

a solid substance in which the atoms or ions are arranged in an orderly pattern that repeats over and over again.

Question 5

Silicate

Answer 5

any mineral that has as its building block a tetrahedron of silicon and oxygen.

Question 6

Silica Tetrahedron

Answer 6

a grouping of one silicon ion and four oxygen ions that form the basic building blocks of silicate.

Question 7

Cleavage

Answer 7

the act of cleaving or splitting in flat sheets

Question 8

Luster

Answer 8

the quality or appearance of light reflected from its surface.

Question 9

Streak

Answer 9

describes its color in powdered form.

Question 10

Fracture

Answer 10

describes an irregular pattern of breakage in a direction other than along cleavage planes.

Question 11

Specific Gravity

Answer 11

the ratio of the weight of a substance to the weight of an equal volume of water.