Chapter 3 (minerals)

Question 1

What is a mineral?

Answer 1

A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic solid** with a **definite chemical composition** and an **orderly arrangement of atoms.

There are about 4000 minerals that share these characteristics.

Question 2

Examples of Silicate minerals

Answer 2

Question 3

How Crystals can be formed?

Answer 3

• Crystals can be formed by many processes. They can be cooled from magma and they can also form from solutions of salts.

Question 4

What are silicates

Answer 4

Silicates are rock-forming minerals that contain oxygen and silicon.

Question 5

Mineral identification (list of 8 parameters)

Answer 5

—1. Mineral appearance
—2. Hardness
—3. Mohs Scale.
—4. Luster
—5. Specific gravity:
—6. Streak:
—7. Cleavage:
—8. Fracture:

Question 6

the way mineral breaks that result in an uneven, rough, or jagged surface

Answer 6

—Fracture:

Question 7

the way mineral breaks that results in a smooth, flat plane

Answer 7

—Cleavage:

Question 8

characteristic of metals that tells us how it reflects light

Answer 8

—Luster

Question 9

—Fracture:

Answer 9

• the way mineral breaks that result in an uneven, rough, or jagged surface
• describes how a mineral breaks into forms or shapes other than flat surfaces. (e.g. uneven, rough, jagged surfaces).

Question 10

4 characteristics of all minerals

Answer 10

1. All formed by natural process.
2. Inorganic
3. An element or compound with a definite composition
4. Crystalline solids

Question 11

Hardness:

Answer 11

a measure of how easily a mineral can be scratched. Mosh scale.

Question 12

—Cleavage:

Answer 12

the way mineral breaks that results in a smooth, flat plane

Question 13

Magma:

Answer 13

hot melted rock material

Question 14

Crystal:

Answer 14

is a solid in which the atoms are arranged in orderly, repeating patterns.

Question 15

a naturally occurring, inorganic solid** with a **definite chemical composition** and an **orderly arrangement of atoms.

Answer 15

mineral

Question 16

—Streak:

Answer 16

color of a mineral when it is in a powered form

Question 17

Specific gravity:

Answer 17

characteristic of metals that tells the ratio of its weight compared with the weight of an equal volume of water. EX: Gold is about 19

Question 18

—Luster

Answer 18

characteristic of metals that tells us how it reflects light

Question 19

What are Rubies used for?

Answer 19

Rubies are used for laser light

Question 20

color of a mineral when it is in a powered form

Answer 20

—Streak:

Question 21

characteristic of metals that tells the ratio of its weight compared with the weight of an equal volume of water. EX: Gold is about 19

Answer 21

Specific gravity:

Question 22

What is Quartz used in?

Answer 22

Quartz is used in electronics and as timepieces

Question 23

Structure of Minerals

Answer 23

• Minerals are in a crystalline structure, meaning they have an orderly, repeated pattern.

Question 24

To what group most of the rock forming minerals belong to?

Answer 24

Most of the common rock forming minerals belong to a group called the silicates, which contain oxygen and silicon.

Question 25

Examples of non-silicate minerals

Answer 25

Question 26

A mineral or rock is an ore if it contains:

Answer 26

a useful substance that can be mined at a profit
◦Magnetite contains iron
◦Bauxite contains aluminum

Question 27

Metallic elements can dissolve in fluids and thus make a mineral deposit in the rocks over time

Answer 27

Vein Minerals

Question 28

low density and very durable to make areplane blades and hip implants

Answer 28

Titanium

Question 29

Gem:

Answer 29

Minerals that are rare and beautiful and are highly prized.

Question 30

Ore:

Answer 30

a naturally occurring solid material from which a metal or valuable mineral can be profitably extracted. For example:

Magnetite contains iron
Bauxite contains aluminum

Question 31

1. Define Mineral.
2. Where do the come from?
3. How are they form?

Answer 31

1. A mineral is a naturally occurring, inorganic solid with a definite chemical composition and an orderly arrangement of atoms.
   }There are about 4000 minerals that share these characteristics.
2. Most minerals come from Silicates (SiO2)-based amethyst (quartz); agate ;
   
   • Some minerals form when salt water on Earth’s surface evaporates.
   • Others form from water mixtures that are seeping through rocks far below your feet.
   • Still others form when mixtures of really hot molten rock cool.
3. ​Minerals form from magma and lava
   
   • ​​Minerals form from Salt Water

or Hot Underground Water

Question 32

How are minerals form?

Answer 32

1. Crystallization from melt (igneous rocks) Lava
2. Precipitation from water (chemical sedimentary rocks, hydrothermal ore deposits)
3. Biological activity (biochemical sedimentary rocks)
4. Change to more stable state - (the processes of weathering, metamorphism, and diagenesis).
5. Precipitation from vapor. (not common, but sometimes does occur around volcanic vents)

Question 33

Describe the structure of minerals.

Answer 33

inorganic solid with a definite chemical composition and an orderly arrangement of atoms.

Question 34

What are the major (top 4) composition of minerals?

Answer 34

1. Oxygen
2. Silicon
3. Aluminum
4. Iron

Question 35

Describe SEVEN Properties of Minerals

Answer 35

1. Transparency or ability to allow light to pass through it.
2. Habit - shape
3. Fracture
4. Color
5. Streak (color of fine powder of the mineral)
6. Luster – metallic, vitreous, pearly, resinous (reflection of light)
7. Cleavage (planes along which the mineral breaks easily)
8. Density (mass/volume)
9. Hardness: based on Mohs hardness scale as follows:

Question 36

How can knowing the physical properties of minerals be helpful?

Answer 36

Knowing a mineral’s crystal system helps researchers understand its atomic structure and physical properties.

Question 37

How are ores processed?

Answer 37

Aluminum sometimes is refined, or purified, from the ore bauxite, In the process of refining aluminum, aluminum oxide powder is separated from unwanted materials that are present in the original bauxite. After this, the aluminum oxide powder is converted to molten aluminum by a process called smelting. During smelting, a substance is melted to separate it from any unwanted materials that may remain. Aluminum can be made into useful products like bicycles.

Question 38

List 3 types of metals extracted from minerals.

Answer 38

Iron, aluminum, zinc, and titanium are common metals that are extracted from minerals.

Question 39

Describe 4 types of crystal structures that minerals can have.

Answer 39

1. CUBIC Fluoriteisan example of a mineral that forms cubic crystals. Minerals in the cubic crystal system are equal in size along all three principal dimensions.
2. HEXAGONAL (hekSAguhnul)Inhexag- onal crystals, horizontal distances between opposite crystal surfaces are equal.These crystal surfaces intersect to form 60o or 120o angles.The vertical length is longer or shorter than the horizontal lengths.
3. TETRAGONAL (teTRAguhnul) Zircon crystals are tetragonal.Tetra- gonal crystals are much like cubic crystals, except that one of the princi- pal dimensions is longer or shorter than the other two dimensions.
4. MONOCLINIC (mahnuhKLIHnihk) Minerals in the monoclinic system, such as orthoclase, also exhibit unequal dimensionsintheircrystalstructure. Only one right angle forms where crystalsurfacesmeet.Theotherangles are oblique, which means they don’t form 90o angles where they intersect.