basic geology terms

Question 1

glass

Answer 1

disorganized array of atoms

Question 2

differentiation

Answer 2

metal and silica segregation

Question 3

hydrous minerals

Answer 3

chemical formulas include hydrogen and oxygen

Question 4

mineral

Answer 4

• naturally occurring
• inorganic
• atoms are systematically arranged
• crystalline form of matter

Question 5

unit cell

Answer 5

the smallest and simplest fragment of a mineral needed to convey the information of the atomic positions

Question 6

silicate minerals

Answer 6

incorporate silicon and oxygen elements

Question 7

tetrahedron

Answer 7

has four faces; 4 large oxygen atoms with a silicon in the middle; net charge of -4

Question 8

isolated tetrahedrons

Answer 8

tetrahedrons are not linked at all (ex: olivine)

Question 9

ferromegnesian

Answer 9

minerals that contain abundant iron and magnesium; dense and dark

Question 10

fracture

Answer 10

tendency to break along irregular surfaces (conchoidal-curved breaks typical of glass)

Question 11

single chains

Answer 11

silicon-oxygen tetrahedrons are linked corner-to-corner into long chains (ex: pyroxene)

Question 12

double chains

Answer 12

two rows of silicon-oxygen tetrahedrons are joined side by side, forming double chains (ex: amphiboles-hornblende)

Question 13

sheets

Answer 13

minerals built around sheets of silicon-oxygen tetrahedrons (ex: mica-biotite-muscovite) (ex: clay minerals)

Question 14

framework silicates

Answer 14

linked tetrahedrons are folded into complex 3-D patterns (feldspars and silica minerals) (ex: plagioclase and quartz)

Question 15

carbonates

Answer 15

based upon the chemical bonding of various metal ions to the carbonate ion (CO32-) (ex: calcite)

Question 16

oxides

Answer 16

bonding to oxygen (ex: hematite and magnetite)

Question 17

sulfides

Answer 17

bonded to sulfide (S2-) (ex: pyrite)

Question 18

sulfates

Answer 18

bonded to sulfate (SO42-) (ex: gypsum)

Question 19

halides

Answer 19

contains the halogen elements (ex: halite)

Question 20

rock

Answer 20

any coherent, naturally occurring substance, generally composed of minerals

Question 21

igneous rock

Answer 21

material cooled and solidified from a melted condition

Question 22

sedimentary rock

Answer 22

material transported and deposited by wind, moving water, or glacier ice, or by the precipitation of dissolved ions

Question 23

metamorphic rock

Answer 23

igneous or sedimentary rock whose character has been changed, typically under conditions of deep burial

Question 24

rock cycle

Answer 24

any rock can be converted by recycling into other types

Question 25

hardness

Answer 25

measure of resistance to scratching

Question 26

luster

Answer 26

appearance of a mineral’s surface in reflected light

• metallic- metallic glint
• vitreous-glassy
• earthy-dull

Question 27

streak

Answer 27

color of the mineral when powdered

Question 28

cleavage

Answer 28

tendency of a mineral to split along certain planes determined by atomic arrangement and bonding strength

Question 29

crystal form/habit

Answer 29

definite external form when unobstructed growth is allowed

Question 30

ore

Answer 30

earth material in which a metal resource is said to be od economic value

Question 31

native element

Answer 31

valuable metal that’s valuable in natural state