Terms/definitionsof mineral properties Flashcards
Rock
naturally occurring multigranular aggregate of one or more minerals or mineralloids `
Mineral
naturally occurring inorganic substance with a definite chemical composition and regular internal structure
Mineralloid
A mineral-like substance that does not have a definite chemical composition and is not crystalline
Crystalline
orderly internal structure made up of regularly repeating arrangement of atom, ions or molecules in 3-dimensions
Crystal
A crystalline material having a regular geometric exterior form bounded by crystal faces
Cleavage
the way a mineral breaks along planes of weakness within the crystal structure
Fracture
the way a mineral breaks when it does not break along planes
Conchoidal fracture
break with smooth, curved surfaces like the interior of a shell
Hardness
the resistance that a surface of a mineral offers to scratching
Specific gravity
the ratio of the weight of any volume of a mineral to the weight of the same volume of water
Diaphaneity
the ability of a mineral to transmit light (opaque, translucent, transparent)
Lustre
the appearance of a mineral in reflected light (metallic, non-metallic, sub-metallic)
Streak
the colour of a powdered mineral
Isotropic
they don’t alter the vibration direction of light and are always extinct in XPL
Anisotropic
have crystal shapes that are different in different directions
