4.1 Variety of Minerals Flashcards
What are minerals?
Minerals are natural substances with a fixed chemical composition.
Where are minerals found?
Minerals are usually found in rocks as elements or compounds.
How do minerals exist in elemental form?
Minerals in elemental form are usually inactive and unreactive.
What are examples of metallic mineral elements?
Gold, silver, mercury, and platinum.
What are examples of non-metallic mineral elements?
Carbon and sulfur.
How do elements form natural compounds?
They combine with oxygen, sulfur, or other elements.
Why do elements form compounds?
To become more stable.
What determines the color and hardness of a mineral?
Its chemical composition.
What is the color of Hematite?
Brown.
What is the color of Malachite?
Green
What is the color of Calcite (Limestone)?
White
What is the color of Galena?
Gray
What is the color of Cassiterite?
Black
How is mineral hardness measured?
By scratching the mineral or using a sclerometer.
What is the hardest mineral on the Mohs scale?
Diamond (hardness 10).
What is the hardness of Calcite on the Mohs scale?
Hardness 3
What happens when minerals contain sodium or potassium?
They become soluble in water.
How do metal oxides and metal carbonates react with acids?
They dissolve and release carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas.
What happens when metal oxides are heated with carbon?
They produce pure metals and CO₂ gas.
What happens when metal carbonates are heated?
They decompose into metal oxides and CO₂, except for sodium & potassium carbonate.
What gas is released when metal sulfides are heated in air?
Sulfur dioxide (SO₂).
How does sulfur dioxide affect potassium permanganate solution?
It turns it purple in an acidic solution.
What minerals are used to neutralize acidic soil?
Calcium oxide & calcium carbonate.
What is silicon dioxide (silica) used for?
Making glass as it has a high melting point, at about 1,713°C.
