Rocks and Minerals Flashcards
A naturally formed, inorganic solid that has a definite chemical structure.
Mineral
A naturally occurring solid mixture of one or more minerals or organic matter.
Rock
A substance that cannot be separated or broken down into simpler substances by chemical means.
Element
A substance made up of atoms of two or more different elements joined by chemical bond.
Compound
A solid whose atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a definite pattern.
Crystal
The quality of an object or substance with respect to light reflected by the object.
Color
The way in which a mineral reflects light.
Luster
The color of the powder of a mineral.
Streak
The splitting of a mineral along smooth, flat surfaces.
Cleavage
The manner in which a mineral breaks along either curved or irregular surfaces.
Fracture
A measure of the ability of a mineral to resist scratching.
Hardness
The ratio of the mass of a substance to the volume of the substance.
Density
A naturally material whose concentration of economically valuable minerals is high enough for the material to be mined profitably.
Ore
Elements such as copper, nickel, platinum, gold, and silver.
Metallic Minerals
Minerals with no metallic luster that break easily.
Non metallic minerals
