Rock and Minerals Vocabulary

Question 1

Mineral

Answer 1

a solid inorganic substance of natural occurrence.

Question 2

Rock

Answer 2

A naturally occurring solid mixture of one or more minerals or organic matter.

Question 3

Element

Answer 3

a part or aspect of something abstract, especially one that is essential or characteristic.

Question 4

compound

Answer 4

a thing that is composed of two or more separate elements; a mixture.

Question 5

crystal

Answer 5

a piece of a homogeneous solid substance having a natural geometrically regular form with symmetrically arranged plane faces.

Question 6

color

Answer 6

the property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as a result of the way the object reflects or emits light.

Question 7

Luster

Answer 7

a gentle sheen or soft glow, especially that of a partly reflective surface.

Question 8

Streak

Answer 8

a long, thin line or mark of a different substance or color from its surroundings.

Question 9

Cleavage

Answer 9

a sharp division; a split.

Question 10

Fracture

Answer 10

the cracking or breaking of a hard object or material.

Question 11

Density

Answer 11

the degree of compactness of a substance.

Question 12

Ore

Answer 12

a naturally occurring solid material from which a metal or valuable mineral can be profitably extracted.

Question 13

Metallic Minerals

Answer 13

These deposits can consist of a variety of metallic minerals containing valuable metals such as nickel, copper, zinc , lead and gold occurs as a native element or as a minor constituent within other minerals that are used in all aspects of our daily lives.

Question 14

Non-Metallic Minerals

Answer 14

Non-metallic mineral reserves consist of stone quarries and clay and sand pits; chemical and fertilizer mineral deposits; salt deposits; deposits of quartz, gypsum, natural gem stones, asphalt and bitumen, peat and other non-metallic minerals other than coal and petroleum.

Question 15

Gemstones

Answer 15

a precious or semiprecious stone, especially one cut, polished, and used in a piece of jewelry.

Question 16

Igneous Rock

Answer 16

Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ignites meaning fire), or magma-tic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava.

Question 17

Sedimentary Rock

Answer 17

Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at the Earth’s surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles to settle in place.

Question 18

Metamorphic Rock

Answer 18

Metamorphic rocks were once igneous or sedimentary rocks, but have been changed (metamorphosed) as a result of intense heat and/or pressure within the Earth’s crust. They are crystalline and often have a “squashed” (defoliate or banded) texture.