Chapter 3- Minerals

Question 1

How many known minerals are there?

Answer 1

Over 4000

Question 2

What are the definitions of a mineral?

Answer 2

1. Solid
2. Naturally Occurring
3. Definite chemical composition
4. Mostly inorganic

Question 3

True or false? Two samples of the same mineral can have different interfacial angles.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

How can crystals grow?

Answer 4

Solidification from a melt
Precipitation from an aqueous solution
Crystallization from a vapor
Solid state diffusion

Question 5

What is a solid without ordered atoms?

Answer 5

A glass

Question 6

What is a lattice?

Answer 6

A pattern that repeats in 3 dimensions

Question 7

What is ionic bonding?

Answer 7

Attraction due to oppositely charged particles

Question 8

What is covalent bonding?

Answer 8

Atoms share electrons to achieve electrical neutrality

Question 9

What is metallic bonding?

Answer 9

Outermost electrons are free to migrate among atoms.

Question 10

What is a polymorph?

Answer 10

Minerals with the same composition but different structure. E.g. Diamonds and coal

Question 11

What are silicates known as?

Answer 11

The rock forming minerals

Question 12

What is the shape of a silicon molecule?

Answer 12

A tetrahedron with 4 oxygen and 1 silicon atoms