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Atoms to volcanoes - 33739 > L3 introduction to minerals > Flashcards

L3 introduction to minerals Flashcards

1
Q

What is a mineral?

A

A naturally occurring inorganic solid;
with an ordered internal structure;
made up of a regular and repeating arrangement of atoms;
and a definite (but not fixed) chemical composition

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2
Q

Can gemstones be produced by industrial processes?

A

yes as there are synthetic gemstones

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3
Q

What synthetic gemstones be used for?

A

Jewellery
Communications
Laser tech
Micro-electronics
Abrasives

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4
Q

How do industrial processes mimic natural processes to produce gemstones artificially?

A

crystal growth under high temp
(high pressure- synthetic diamonds)

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5
Q

What states are almost all minerals in?

A

solid (rare exception liquid mercury)

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6
Q

What will the solid structure of minerals look like generally?

A

regular repeating three-dimensional patterns of atoms, ions or ionic groups

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7
Q

What is the chemical compositions of minerals like?

A

definite but not fixed

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8
Q

Is the ratio of cations (+) to anions (-) fixed or variable?

A

fixed

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9
Q

What can make the ratio of cations to anions in minerals more complex?

A

where different metal cations can substitute into the same structure

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10
Q

Where does crystallisation of minerals occur from?

A

Magma

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11
Q

What is magma? (not definition but what actually is it as a liquid)

A

high temperature liquid (high kinetic energy no solid stable)

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12
Q

What happens when magma cools and kinetic energy decreases? (crystallisation from magma)

A

atoms slow down enough for bonds to persist
Allows nucleation of crystals from melt

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13
Q

What can lead to larger more well formed crystals from magma?

A

if high temperatures remain, magma
partially molten, atoms still quite
mobile and move toward the surfaces of growing crystals

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14
Q

What happens if there is rapid cooling of magma? (crystal formation)

A

smaller less well formed crystals

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15
Q

What are pegmatite veins?

A

found around granites with exotic
minerals hosting rarer elements that don’t fit in “normal” silicate minerals

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16
Q

What are pegmatite veins often targeted for?

A

mineral exploitation

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17
Q

How can very water rich melts and magma bodies at late stage cooling create large crystals?

A

low viscosity
leading to very rapid crystal growth rate

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18
Q

What processes are the cause of crystal formation in solid state?

A

metamorphic

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19
Q

How can minerals form from metamorphic processes?

A

chemical reactions replacement of of current minerals with new ones

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20
Q

How are atoms transported to sites of new mineral creation? (metamorphic crystal formation)

A

bonds broken and atoms migrate by solid state diffusion or transported short distances by intergranular fluids

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21
Q

How is the mineralogy of metamorphic rocks more diverse?

A

includes minerals found in both other rock types plus high pressure / high temperature equivalents

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22
Q

How can minerals form from precipitate?

A

Precipitation from aqueous solutions containing ions of different sorts

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23
Q

What is solubility?

A

how much solid material dissolves per unit of solute

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24
Q

What physical conditions can change solubility?

A

most substances are more soluble in water at higher temperatures and higher pressures

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25
Q

What might a decrease in temp do to solubility?

A

decrease in temperature (or pressure) may lead to over saturation, nucleation, and
precipitation of solid (mineral) phase

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26
Q

What might loss of solute do to solubility?

A

may increase concentration of ions until nucleation and precipitation starts (evaporite minerals)

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27
Q

How are minerals grouped?

A

basis of chemical composition based on the dominant anion or anion complex

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28
Q

How many recognised minerals are there?

A

4150

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29
Q

how many common rock forming minerals are there?

A

90

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30
Q

What are native elements?

A

composed of a single element

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31
Q

What does it mean to metals weather?

A

react with oxygen and form their oxide

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32
Q

What metals are usually found in native form?

A

Generally only less reactive metals, such as gold, silver, copper, platinum

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33
Q

What does polymorphism mean?

A

same chemistry but different structure

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34
Q

What is the structure of graphite like?

A

carbon atoms in sheets; weak bonding -> soft

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35
Q

How is diamond formed?

A

formed at very high pressures

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36
Q

What is the structure of diamonds like?

A

carbon atoms densely packed into tetrahedral framework -> hard and strong

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37
Q

What are oxides?

A

Metal cations ionically bonded to oxide anions

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38
Q

What are the oxide groups?

A

Simple oxides
Hematite group
Rutile group
Spinel group

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39
Q

What will simple oxides formulae look like? (X= cation)

A

X2O
XO

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40
Q

What do hematite group oxides formulae look like?

A

X2O3

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41
Q

What do Rutile group oxides formulae look like?

A

XO2

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42
Q

What do spinel group oxides formulae look like?

A

XY2O4

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43
Q

What is the composition of hydroxides?

A

Metal cations combined with hydroxide (OH-) anions

44
Q

How do hydroxides usually form?

A

at lower temperatures & are softer than oxides

45
Q

What are hydroxides usually the product of?

A

Weathering or degradation

46
Q

Where does limonite form?

A

fresh waters
bogs

47
Q

What is gibbsite an important component of?

A

aluminium bauxite ore

48
Q

What are sulphides?

A

metal cations ionically bonded to sulfur anions

49
Q

What type of condition’s are sulphides indicative of?

A

reducing

50
Q

What is pyrite?

A

fools gold

51
Q

What conditions does pyrite form in?

A

sedimentary conditions under reducing / low oxygen environment

52
Q

What is the composition of sulphates?

A

Metal cations ionically bonded to sulphate anions

53
Q

What is the most important and common sulphate?

A

gypsum

54
Q

What is gypsum economically important for?

A

component of plaster

55
Q

Where does gypsum form?

A

primary evaporite minerals, formed in tropical restricted marine environments

56
Q

What are the 3 forms of gypsum?

A

satin spar (fibrous),
selenite (transparent),
alabaster (fine-grained, massive form)

57
Q

What is the composition of halides?

A

Metal cations and halogen anions

58
Q

What 2 types of halides are common in sedimentary rock?

A

halite
sylvite

59
Q

How is halite typically found?

A

rock salt (evaporite from salt lake)

60
Q

What is fluorite?

A

A halide associated with metal ores (zinc)

61
Q

What is the composition of carbonates ?

A

Metal cations ionically bonded to carbonate anions

62
Q

What is the formula for oxide anions?

A

O2-

63
Q

How does alteration of minerals occur?

A

through oxidation and reaction with hydrous fluids
or
Hydrothermal fluids

64
Q

What is formed through mineral alteration?

A

forms secondary minerals that reflect original mineral and alteration process

65
Q

What is the formula for hydroxides anions?

A

OH-

66
Q

What is the formula for sulphide anions?

A

S2-

67
Q

What is the formula for sulphate anions?

A

SO42-

68
Q

What are some examples of halogen anions?

A

Cl-
F-
Br-
I-

69
Q

What are the 3 most important and common forms of carbonates?

A

Calcite
Aragonite
Dolomite

70
Q

What is the formula for for carbonate anions?

A

CO32-

71
Q

What is the formula for metal cations involved in carbonate formation?

A

Ca2+

72
Q

What is calcite?

A

CaCO3
dominant form of calcium carbonate

73
Q

What is aragonite?

A

CaCO3
polymorph of calcite

74
Q

What is aragonite like compared to calcite?

A

low temperature and metastable
Often biogenic

75
Q

What is dolomite?

A

(CaMg(CO3)2)
associated with digenesis in reducing conditions

76
Q

What determines the minerals that make up the rocks in the mantle and crust?

A

the elements that dominate the mantle and crust

77
Q

What are silicates composed of?

A

Si
O

78
Q

What are some examples of silicates?

A

Feldspar
Mica
Olivine
Quartz
Pyroxene

79
Q

Which mineral group is the most abundant in earths surface?

A

Silicates

80
Q

What will happen if the abundance of minerals isnt enough to form a specific rock/crystal?

A

another will be formed which matches the conditions and abundance

81
Q

What are igneous rocks made up of?

A

an assemblage of minerals that reflect the chemistry of the magma(s) that formed them, and with crystal sizes that reflect their cooling history

82
Q

How are metamorphic rocks formed?

A

through mineral growth via atomic reorganisation in the solid state

83
Q

How are sedimentary rocks formed?

A

from individual mineral grains, produced by weathering and erosion of other rocks, or from biomineralized materials; and/or from direct mineral precipitation

84
Q

What is an example of the fixed cation to anion ratio?

A

NaCl 1:1

85
Q

What is an example of a more complex ratio of cation to anion?

A

Olivine- as different metallic cations can fit into structure (Mg, Fe) can be either Fe or Mg rich

86
Q

What will tend to alter the texture of metamorphic rocks?

A

stress field
local conditions

87
Q

What are some examples of liquids reaching the solubility limit?

A

hydrothermal settling
evaporite salt
stalactites and stalagmites
fluorite

88
Q

What minerals dominate earths crust?

A

Silicon (27%)
Oxygen (47%)

89
Q

What is the problem with having a limited number of minerals available?

A

it limits the ability to produce vast amounts of different rocks

90
Q

How can gold be found in its native form?

A

nuggets
veins

91
Q

How can silver and copper be found in their native form?

A

dendritic coatings

92
Q

Why cant all cations fit into the gaps in minerals like olivine?

A

They might be too big or not have the correct charge to create a stable energy balance

93
Q

What are the silicate group of minerals built around?

A

silicate tetrahedral (1 silicon 4 oxygen ionically bonded)

94
Q

What do silicate tetrahedra combine to create?

A

a silicate framework (different combinations create different structures)

95
Q

What is the tetrahedra combination of olivine like?

A

isolated silicate tetrahedra

96
Q

What needs to be the case for silicate tetrahedra to be electrostatically neutral?

A

4- charge must be balanced by positive cations between tetrahedra

97
Q

What can the cation anion structure of olivine be like?

A

fixed ratio but there can be 2 cations to one anion (Mg or Fe)

98
Q

What is the simplest form of a solid solution?

A

when atoms of 2 different elements can substitute for each other within a mineral structure

99
Q

What must the atoms for a solid solution be like comparatively?

A

similar ionic radii
same electrostatic charge

100
Q

What does having solid solution give olivine?

A

variable composition restricted and defined by the nature of the holes in the structure

101
Q

What can happen when oxygens from different tetrahedra bond? (silicate tetrahedra)

A

they can form chains

102
Q

What is an example of a single chain silicate tetrahedra?

A

pyroxene

103
Q

What is an example of a double chain silicate tetrahedra?

A

amphibole

104
Q

What is an example of a sheet formation of silicate tetrahedra?

A

Mica (

105
Q
A

Atoms to volcanoes - 33739 (16 decks)

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