1. Mineral Chemistry Flashcards
What are the criteria that we use for determining if a substance is a mineral?
- Naturally forming (not in a lab)
- Ordered Crystalline Structure
- Definite Chemical Structure
- Inorganic
- Solid
What is metamict?
A rock whose crystalline structure (order) is extensively disrupted by radioactive bombardment
How do we distinguish among the different mineral varieties?
- Color
- Luster
- Habit/Form
- Density
- Hardness
- Streak
- Tenacity
- Cleavage/Fracture
What is meant by a mineral ‘group’?
A mineral group is a set of mineral species with essentially the same crystal structure and composed of chemically similar elements.
What are the three most common types of valence-related bonding?
ionic, covalent, and metallic
Describe the difference between ionic and covalent bonding.
Ionic is losing and gaining, Covalent is sharing
Which bonds are the strongest?
Covalent
How is bond length related to energy minimization?
Longer the bond, the weaker the bond
When a mineral forms, is it an exothermic or endothermic reaction?
Exothermic?
What is a polar covalent bond?
A covalent bond in which the electron density is unevenly shared between the two bonded atoms, due to a difference in electronegativity or due to inductive effects.
How is electronegativity related to bond type?
Electronegativity is a indicator of how strongly an atom will attract the electrons in a bond
What are two types of bonding that DO NOT involve valance electrons?
Hydrogen Bonds
Vaan der Waals bonding
What is a coordination number?
the number of atoms or ions immediately surrounding a central atom in a complex or crystal
The six crystal systems and relationship of the axes
Isometric
Monoclilnic
Triclinic
Orthorombic
Hexagonal
Tetragonal
What type of packing arrangement do native elements have? What unique properties result?
cubic close-packed or hexagonal close-packed.
