Exam 1 Flashcards
Nebua
- starting material
- small particles of gas and dust
- widely separated
Angular Momentum
the energy of motion of a spinning mass of gas, liquid, or solid
mass x velocity x distance from center = angular momentum
Protoplanetary Disk
as the rotational rate increases, collisions between particles flatten the cloud into a disk
Evolution of our Sun (phases)
- T-Tauri Phase
- Hayashi Phase
- Main Sequence
Condensation
The formation of sold or liquid particles from a gas
Accretion
Small objects coming together or “accreting” to form larger objects
- with increased mass, gravitational force became more dominant
protoplanet
a body formed by dust, gas, and rocks in the early solar system, but has yet to become a planet
perigee
minimum distance from the earth to the moon
apogee
maximum distance from the earth to the moon
Differentiation
the process of separating out the different constituents as a consequence of their physical or chemical behavior
higher temp = harder to hold on
silicate
a common mineral in the inner planets that contains silicon and oxygen in its crystalline structure
how old is the earth?
4.6 GA
GA
Billions of years
MA
Millions of years
what is a mineral
-solid
-inorganic
-naturally occuring
- has a chemical comp
-crystalline structures
what are minerals used for
classifying rocks
two most common elements in earths crust
oxygen and silicon
Silicates
-Silica is oxygen combined with silicon
-Most minerals contain silica (silicates)
_Quarts is pure silica
Nonsilicates
- not as abundant as silicates, minerals without silica are important
- ore minerals- metals
- native elements: copper, platinum, gold, silver, diamond,graphite
Properties of Minerals
Color
Luster
Hardness
Streak Color
Crystal form
Breakage (Cleavage or Fracture)
Specific Gravity
Diaphaneity
Tenacity
Color
NOT a good diagnostic property
Luster
the way light reflects off a minerals surface (does it look metallic?)
Non-Metallic
Glassy
Earthy
Resinous
Pearly
Hardness
Resistance to scratching
MOHS HARDNESS SCALE
