Identifying Rocks Flashcards
Rocks are made up of one or more ____________?
minerals
What is a mineral?
A mineral is a naturally occuring solid with a unique chemical composition structure and properties.
What is the most common mineral?
Quartz
What two elements make up quartz?
Silicon and Oxygen
What are crystals?
Crystals are the shapes of the minerals
What are the three main properties used to identify rocks?
The shape and size of the crystals, hardness and colour
What do the mineral crystals determine in rocks?
The mineral’s properties: hardness and colour
What are the different properties of graphite and diamond (both solid carbon)
Graphite is soft and black, Diamond colourless and hard
Explain the different properties of graphite and diamond (both solid carbon)
Diamond is hard because crystals are interlocked units. Graphis is black and soft because crystals are in arranged in sheets
What are the four reliable methods of identifying minerals?
Lustre, Streak, Hardness and Cleavage
What is lustre?
Lustre is the shininess of the surface of a mineral.
What is streak?
Streak is the colour of the powdered or crushed mineral.
What is the scale for hardess?
Hardness is measured on the Mohs scale (1-10)
What is cleavage?
Cleavage is the number of smooth planes that minerals break along.
What is the ore of iron?
Haematite
