Chap 3 Matter and Minerals Flashcards
5 Mineral Requirements:
- Naturally occurring
- Inorganic
- Solid
- Specific Chemical Composition
- Order atomic structure
Atomic
number
No. protons
Atomic
Mass
No. Protons + Neutrons
Anions
Negative charge
Cations
Positive charge
Isotopes
Same No. of Protons, Dif. No. of Neutrons
Valence
Electrons
No. of electrons in the outer shell
Ionic bond
Give away (<4 valence electrons) or
receive electrons (>4 valence
electrons)
Covalent
bond
Share electrons
Polymorphs
Two Dif. Minerals have the same
composition but dif. Crystal
structure.
E.g. Diamond and Graphite
Amorphous
A solid in which atoms are not
arranged in a definite crystal
structure
E.g. Quartz = Opal (Glass)
Solid
Solution
Series (type?)
Ionic substitution
Mineral Characteristics
- Colour
- Streak
- Lustre
- Cleavage
- Fracture
- Density
- Habit
- Double
refraction - Magnetic
- Radio Active
- Twinning
Colour
Not very reliable because
Quartz occurs in dif. Colours and other minerals occur in
the same colour but are not the same
Streak
Colour of powder
Lustre
Metallic / Non-metallic?
Hardness
Relative resistance to
scratching
Cleavage
tendency to break in
preferred directions along
reflective planar surfaces
Fracture
Minerals that lack cleavage
Quartz = conchoidal
fracture
Density
Ration of mass to volume
Habit
The characteristic shape of a crystal. I.e. needle
Double
refraction
Doubles the image when
looking through the mineral
E.g. calcite
Magnetic
E.g. Magnetite
Radio Active
Uranite
Twinning
Two or more inter-grown
crystals.
Often one of the most
diagnostic features
