Minerals Flashcards
(24 cards)
building blocks of rocks
Minerals
Identify which property of minerals is being described
wavelengths of light reflected by the minerals
least reliable property when it comes to identifying minerals
Color
Identify which property of minerals is being described
how light is reflected from the mineral’s surface
Luster
Identify which property of minerals is being described
the shape of each crystal or an aggregate of crystals
Crystal Habit
also known as “crystal shape”
Identify which property of minerals is being described
the color of the mineral when it is powdered
a useful property when differentiating similar-looking minerals
Streak
Identify which property of minerals is being described
how resistant a mineral is to scratching
Hardness
the scale used in identifying the hardness of a mineral relative to other minerals
Mohs’ Hardness Scale
Identify which property of minerals is being described
the tendency of a mineral to break along preferred planes
these preferred planes are called “zones of weakness”
Cleavage
occurs if a mineral doesn’t break along zones of weakness
Fracture
Identify which property of minerals is being described
the ratio between a mineral’s weight and the weight of a specific volume of water
Density
also called “specific gravity”
Identify which property of minerals is being described
how well a mineral handles stress
Tenacity
Tenacity
susceptible to cracking or breaking
Brittle
Tenacity
deforms under stress but snaps back to its original shape after the pressure is removed
Elastic
Tenacity
deforms under stress but doesn’t go back to its original shape
Flexible
Tenacity
changes shape when under pressure from hammers or rollers
Malleable
Tenacity
can be drawn into thin wires
Ductile
Tenacity
can be carved w/ a knife
Sectile
Identify which property of minerals is being described
how well light travels through a mineral
Diaphaneity
Diaphaneity
allows almost all light to travel through
Transparent
Diaphaneity
only allows some light to travel and exit the mineral
results in a cloudy or murky appearance
Translucent
Diaphaneity
does not allow light to travel through
Opaque
Identify which property of minerals is being described
the magnetic property of a mineral
Magnetism
Identify which property of minerals is being described
a mineral’s reaction to strong acids
Effervescence
the most abundant group of minerals on the Earth’s crust
Rock-forming minerals
