Unir 3 Flashcards
(29 cards)
What are the 4 characteristics of all minerals?
Naturally occurring, inorganic, solid, with crystalline structure
How do minerals form?
magma/lava cooling or solutions evaporating
What is the most abundant group of minerals found in the crust and why?
Silicates because silicates are made of silicon and oxygen and those two elements are the most common elements found in the earth’s crust
How do we identify minerals and why do we need to use more than one property to identify a mineral?
By the properties: color, streak, hardness, luster, cleavage/fracture, density, taste, smell - we need to use more than one property because some minerals share properties and some properties like color are not always accurate
How do we use the Mohs Hardness Scale to determine the hardness of a mineral?
Any mineral with a higher number can scratch a mineral with a lower number
What is the rock cycle?
Shows how one type of rock can change into a different type of rock
What is the difference between igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks?
How they form
How does each type of rock form?
Igneous rocks form from lava and magma cooling, sedimentary rocks form from sediments compacting or the precipitation of minerals, metamorphic rocks form due to heat and pressure
What determines the texture or grain size in rocks?
For igneous rocks, the texture is determined by how fast the magma/lava cools, for sedimentary rocks, the texture is determined by the size of the sediments
What are the different types of mining?
Underground, mountaintop removal, evaporation, placer, open pit, and strip mining
What are the negative environmental impacts of mining? How can we reduce these impacts?
Air pollution, water pollution, increased runoff and erosion - land reclamation can be done once mining is complete to reduce these impacts - replant vegetation
What is the difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources?
How quickly the resource can replace itself - renewable resources can replace themselves quickly, nonrenewable resources take so long that we essentially only have the amount that we currently have
What are some examples of renewable resources?
Trees, plants, crops, cotton, water, air
What are some examples of nonrenewable resources?
All rocks and minerals, fossil fuels (oil, coal, natural gas)
What is the difference between natural resources and made things?
Natural resources are found in the earth, humans than make things with those resources
How do we make materials like glass, steel, and paper?
Glass is made from sand with extreme heat from a furnace, steel is made from iron and carbon with extreme heat from a furnace, paper is made from tree pulp
Other than generating electricity, in what other ways do we use oil/petroleum?
Plastic, nylon, faux leather, synthetic rubber, etc.
Plastic, nylon, faux leather, synthetic rubber, etc.
Calcite
mineral, most common mineral, used in making glass
Quartz
mineral, very soft, 1 on Mohs scale, used in cosmetics
Talc
mineral, lead ore, heavy, breaks into cubes
Galena
mineral, hardest mineral, used in jewelry and for cutting
diamond
mineral, breaks into thin sheets
mica
mineral, made of carbon not lead, used in pencils and machinery lubricants
Graphite
