L3 Flashcards
a naturally occurring (not man-made or machine generated), inorganic (not a byproduct of living things) solid with an orderly crystalline structure and a definite chemical composition
MINERALS
an aggregate of one or moreminerals and may contain organic residues.
ROCKS
have properties which may prove useful for their identification
Minerals
PROPERTIES OF MINERALS:
Luster
Hardness
Crystal Form/ Habit
Color and Streak
Cleavage
Specific Gravity
It is the quality and intensity of reflected light exhibited by the mineral
LUSTER
generally opaque and exhibit a resplendent shine similar to a polished metal
Metallic
vitreous (glassy), adamantine (brilliant/diamond-like), resinous, silky, pearly, dull (earthy), greasy, among others.
Non-metallic
It is a measure of the resistance of a mineral (not specifically surface) to abrasion.
HARDNESS
It is measured using the hardness scale designed by German geologist/mineralogist
HARDNESS
It is measured using the hardness scale designed by German geologist/mineralogist_______
Friedrich Mohs in 1812
most hardest mineral
Diamond
Low hardness mineral
Talc
The external shape of a crystal or groups of crystals is displayed / observed as these crystals grow in open spaces. The form reflects the supposedly internal structure (of atoms and ions) of the crystal (mineral).
CRYSTAL FORM/HABIT
A mineral that do not have a crystal structure is described as _____-
amorphous
A lot of minerals can exhibit same or similar colors.
Color and Streak
Individual minerals can also display a variety of____resulting from impurities and also from some geologic processes like weathering.
COLORS
on the other hand, is the mineral’s color in powdered form. It is inherent in almost every mineral, and is a more diagnostic property compared to color.
Streak
The property of some minerals to break along specific planes of weakness to form smooth, flat surfaces
CLEAVAGE
HOW DO WE GROUP MINERALS?
We group them based on chemical composition.
minerals containing the two most abundant elements in the Earth’s crust, namely, silicon and oxygen.
SILICATES
When linked together, these two elements form the silicon-oxygen ______ - the fundamental building block of silicate minerals.
tetrahedron
the fundamental building block of silicate minerals.
tetrahedron
Over 90% of rock-forming minerals belong to this group.
SILICATES
minerals composed of oxygen anion (O2 -) combined with one or more metal ions
OXIDES
minerals containing sulfur and oxygen in the form of the (SO4) - anion
SULFATES
minerals containing sulfur and a metal; some are sources of economically important metals such as copper, lead, and zinc.
SULFIDES
minerals containing the carbonate (CO3)2 - anion combined with other elements
CARBONATES
minerals that form as individual elements
NATIVE
minerals with high thermal and electrical conductivity, typically with metallic luster, low hardness (gold, lead)
Metals and Intermetals
minerals that are more fragile than metals and have lower conductivity (arsenic, bismuth)
Semi-metals
nonconductive (sulfur, diamond)
Nonmetals
minerals containing halogen elements combined with one or more metals
HALIDES
