Chapter 2- Minerals Flashcards
Who put together the periodic table?
Dmitry Meddle’ev
What are the five characteristics to identify if something is a mineral?
- Solid
- Naturally occurring
- Orderly crystalline structure (Not true 100% of the time)
- Distinctive chemical formula
- Generally inorganic (little or no carbon)
What are rocks composed of?
Solid mass of mineral or mineral-like material
Minerals are made up of elements, what are elements?
A single substance made up of only one type of atom. e.g. Gold(Au)
What are atoms?
The smallest particles that can’t be chemically split
Atoms are made up of?
Protons, neutrons, & electrons
Protons & neutrons are?
Massive particles in the nucleus.
Protons have a positive charge
Neutrons have no charge
What are the three types of atom bonds?
Ionic, covalent, metallic
How does the ionic bond work?
Hint: an ion is a charged particle
An atom gains or looses an electron to bond with another.
Sodium(Na) has only one electron in it’s second shell, Chlorine(Cl) has seven electrons in it’s second shell. Therefore Na will give one electron to Cl in order to have a balanced relationship
(Think of a marriage relationship: sacrifices are made to make it work)
How does the Covalent bond work?
Atoms share electrons when in close proximity but when they move apart they no longer “associate”
(Think of a one night stand)
Examples:
H2O - water
CO2 - carbon dioxide
How does a Metallic bond work?
All atoms move freely while sharing all valence electrons
Think of an ATOM ORGY!!… Or Woodstock..
What are the eight physical properties of minerals?
- Luster
- Light transmission (how light travels through it)
- Color
- Streak
- Habit
- Tenacity
- Hardness
- Cleavage
What is luster and what are the two words to describe it?
How the light reflects off the mineral.
- Metallic- shiny
- Non-metallic- vitrious(glossy),dull, earthy, pearly, silky, greasy
What are the three types of light transmission?
Transparent, translucent, opaque
What is good to remember about the color of a mineral?
That it may not always be a good diagnostic property. e.g. Quartz, it comes in a variety of color
What is the habit of a crystal?
The shape of the crystal, some have more than one habit but some have no distinct habit at all
What is a mineral’s tenacity?
It’s resistance to breaking.
What are the four types of mineral tenacity?
- Brittle- shatter
- Malleable- can be shaped
- Sectile- can be cut into shavings
- Elastic- return to original shape
What is cleavage? (No, it’s not that Colt)
Orderly breakage
What are cleavage planes?
Flat sides of a broken mineral. They are often described as directions and angles between them.
(Usually helped to identify the type of mineral)
What is a fracture?
Irregular breakage
What are the three types of irregular breakage?
- Conchoidal
- Splintering
- Fibrous
What are other properties that may be used to identify specific minerals?
Taste, smell, magnetism, double refraction, & fizzing
