Earth's Systems Flashcards
Physical Properties
Any property that can be observed using the 5 senses or can be measured without changing the matter
Weight/Mass
How heavy an object is (Mass is how much matter something is made of)
Solid
A state of matter that maintains its own shape instead of conforming to the shape of its container
Liquid
Something that can flow and takes shape of its container, like water or juice, but it has a fixed amount of volume, similar to how a solid stays the same size
Conduct
It allows something like heat or electricity to flow or pass through easily
Heat
Energy that moves from something hot to something cold, a form of energy
Minerals
A substance found in nature, minerals make up rocks
Hardness
How easily or difficult it is to scratch a minerals surface
Streak
The color of its powder when you rub it on a hard, rough surface like a tile.
Tiles
The colored powder left behind when a mineral is scraped across a hard surface like a ceramic tile, which helps identify the mineral by its streak color
Color
It’s what light reflects back to our eyes. Minerals are colored because they absorb some colors of light and reflect the rest
Luster
How shiny a rock or mineral looks when light shines on it, like a mirror, or glassy, or even dull. (Luster is a physical property used by mineralogists to help identify minerals)
Cleavage
How some minerals break along smooth, flat lines instead of randomly, like when you crack an egg
Scratch Test
Where you try to scratch a rock with different objects (like a fingernail or a penny) to see if its hard or soft
Rocks
A naturally formed combination of minerals and other natural materials
Minerals
A solid, naturally formed substance that always has the same composition and the same properties
Sediment
The “dirt and stuff” that settles to the bottom or liquids or is carried then deposited by water, wind, or ice
