minerals Flashcards
(31 cards)
what is a mineral?
naturally occurring
inorganic
crystalline solid
definite but variable chemical composition
what is natural occurring?
made in nature
not man made
what is inorganic?
no organic compounds
no carbon bonded to hydrogen
what is crystalline?
atoms are organized in a specific orderly pattern called a crystal lattice
what is definite but variable composition?
a chemical composition can have some elements swapped for others without affecting the mineral
how do we tell minerals apart?
based off of their physical properties:
colour
lustre
clarity
streak
habit
fracture
cleavage
hardness
what is colour caused by?
due to impurities in the crystal structure, inclusions of other elements, or heat
what is lustre?
it is how a mineral reflects light
what is clarity?
the ability to see light through a mineral/the ability to transmit light
what is streak?
it is the colour of the powdered mineral
what is it habit?
the shape the crystal would grow naturally with enough space
how does a crystal grow?
by adding chemicals to itself
what is a native element?
mineral made out of one element
what is a massive mineral?
shapeless
What is a granular mineral?
bunch of tiny crystals put together
what does fracture refer to?
how a mineral breaks
what is cleavage?
breaks along a naturally occurring plane of weakness
what is a diagnostic characteristic?
something that will differentiate two minerals
what are earth materials?
naturally occurring materials that make up the earths crust
what is a rock?
made up of one or more minerals in nature
solid
no set definition
what’s the difference between a rock and mineral?
minerals are made up of only one mineral
rocks are made up of multiple materials
what can rocks be made of?
soil
fossils
minerals
SOLID AGGREGATE OF EARTH MATERIALS
what is aggregate of minerals?
whole unbroken minerals
what is aggregate of grains?
fragment of other rock, minerals or fossils
