Class notes Flashcards
Mineral
An element or a compound which is crystalline and which forms by geological processes
crystalline
a highly ordered atomic arrangement of atoms or ions arranged in a geometric pattern
What is the one exception to the rule that minerals must be solid?
Mercury
mineraloid
Between a glass and a mineral
crystalline materials
Elements or compounds with a definite chemical composition
May be fixed-ex quartz SiO2, or may have a composition between certain limits ex-dolomite CaMg(CO3)2
Geological processes
Implies that it is naturally occurring.
synthetic
Implies something was created in a lab, but is otherwise a mineral in all aspects ex-synthetic quartz
Biogenic
biologically produced rather than geologically produced.
Is coal a mineral?
No, it was formed biogenically.
What defines a mineral?
Crystal structure, chemical composition.
crystals
planar faces
crystal form vs crystal habit
crystal form-geometric shape of a crystal. Shows symmetry (octahedron, cube, tetrahedron)
crystal habit-a general term has to do with crystal growth.
Specific gravity vs density
density is mass/volume. has units.
specific gravity-unitless density/density of water at 4 degrees celcius.
What happens when you place calcite over a dot on paper?
You see two points. This has to do with light moving through it.
The 2 major types of crystals
Molecular Crystals Nonmoleculuar crystals (Metallic, covalent, ionic)
Molecular crystals
Crystals that are made up of molecules bonded covalently within a group. Molecules are bonded together by Van Der Wall forces. (nonmetals, diatomic elements, compounds)
Van Der Walls Forces
A very weak bond.
What type of band causes crystals to become very soft?
Van Der Walls
Physical properties of minerals with Van Der Walls bonds
soft, weakly bonded between molecules, low melting point.
Induced Van Der Walls bonding
An atom will orient itself to match the other
Metallic crystals
A type of nonmolecular crystal. Made up of cations that are nearly equal in electronegativity with metal bonds.
Closest packed
Atoms cannot get any closer together. This is usually the case with metal bonds.
Metal bonds
Loosely held valenece electrons are shared between neighbors to form a bonding pair. If a cation has 12 neighbors the valence electron is shared equally so that each valence electron spends 1/12 of the time with each of the 12 neighbors.
*Orbitals become extremely close-makes transfer among orbitals easy.
Characteristics of metallic crystals due to metal bonds
bonds are non directional. This is why metals are malleable.
Types of closest packing
Cubic-ABCABCABC…
Hexagonal-ABABABAB
Physical properties resulting from closest packing
high densities, good conductors, malleable