Mineral Chemistry Flashcards
Describe Elements/Atoms
Elements are the basic building blocks of minerals and all life. They are the smallest particles of matter and cannot be broken down by any physical or chemical process. 118 are known to us, 90 of which are naturally occurring. An atom will retain all the characteristics of the elements that make it.
Define a rock.
A rock is a naturally occurring solid mass composed of various minerals.
Describe the structure of an atom.
Atoms have a central region called the nucleus that is made up of protons and neurons. Electrons surround the nucleus in energy levels called shells.
Where do minerals come from?
The Earth’s crust and oceans.
List some examples of every day objects that use minerals.
Dentist Drill Bits are covered with diamonds, Silicon in Computer Chips are made of quartz
Minerals are usually inorganic, what is an exception to this?
When mineral formations are mediated by biological processes.
Rocks are almost always made up of multiples minerals, what is an example of an exception?
Limestone, which is composed of impure masses of calcite.
What are rocks made of obsidian and pumice?
They are volcanic rocks that are made up of non mineral materials.
What is coal?
Coal is made of organic matter.
How many minerals are on earth?
Approximately 4660, each with it’s own unique chemical composition and internal structure.
What is the chemical composition of a mineral made of.
Elements.
List a couple examples of minerals that are made exclusively of one element.
Gold and Sulfur.
How many elements are minerals usually composed of.
Two or more, however being made of a single element is possible.
How are protons and neutrons similar?
They are approximately equal in size and density.
Why are protons and neutrons significant?
Together they make up the majority of an atoms mass.
Describe electrons.
They are negatively charged particles that rapidly orbit the nucleus.
Describe protons.
Protons are found in the nucleus of an atom and each have a single positive charge.
Describe neutrons.
Neutrons are found in the nucleus of an atom and have no charge. They occupy spherical energy levels around the nucleus.
How are electrons different from both neutrons and protons?
Electrons are smaller and lighter than both neutrons and protons.
What differentiates each atom from one another?
There are atoms of every element, each having a certain number of protons.
What is another name for the number of protons in an atom?
Atomic Number
What is the Atomic Weight of an atom?
Atomic Weight is approximately the total number of Protons and Neutrons in the atom’s nucleus. Each single particle accounts for one unit of mass.
Do electrons have any mass?
An electron has 0.05% of the mass of a proton.
What is the significance of the Atomic Number?
Elements are cataloged by atomic number.
What element has the highest Atomic Number of the naturally occurring elements?
Uranium. It’s atomic number is 92.
How many electrons are there usually in an atom?
In any given atom, the number of electrons will equal the number of protons, or Atomic Number.
Why are the number of electrons and protons equal in an atom?
This creates an electrically neutral state for the atom as a whole. The positively charged particles ‘cancel out’ the negatively charged particles.
How do you figure out the number of neutrons in an atom?
Atomic Weight - Atomic Number = # of Neutrons
How many particles of electrons can exist in the innermost shell of an atom?
2
With the exception of the innermost shell, how many particles of electrons can exist on the shells surrounding the atom?
8
What is the most stable configuration for an atom?
An atom is at it’s most stable when the number of electrons on it’s outermost shell is 8.
What are noble gases?
Noble gases are atoms that have 8 particle-s of electrons in their outtermost shell in it’s naturally occurring state.
How do atoms with less than 8 particles of electrons on their outtermost shell achieve stability?
These atoms will bond with other atoms to achieve a stable configuration.
What are the electrons on the outtermost shells of an atom called?
Valence Electrons
What happens when atoms bond with one another.
The create an entirely new substance called a compound.
What is the attractive force that links atoms together called?
A Chemical Bond
Since minerals are made of more than one atom, even if it is the same element, what is it considered?
A compound.
What is an ionic bond?
An ionic bond is when one or more electrons are transferred from an atom of a metal element to an atom of a nonmetal element. This atom gives up some of it’s electrons, while another receives them.
What are atoms that have too many or too few electrons called?
Ions
Describe what happens to an atom when ionic bonds occur.
The atom that gives up one or more electrons will become positively charged. By losing the electron, it is losing the neutral charge it had when it’s protons and electrons were equal in number. There are more protons (positive charges) than electrons. Similarly, when an atom receives an electron, it becomes negatively charged as it has more electrons than protons.
What happens to atoms that have an equal negative charge to another atom’s positive charge. (ex, 2+, 2-)
They attract.
Why does ionic bonding occur?
To create a compound with overall electrical neutrality between oppositely charged ions.
Are compounds any different than the elements that created it?
Yes, compounds will have significantly different properties from their parent elements.
How are rocks and minerals different from elements and compounds?
Unlike compounds and elements, the minerals that make up a rock all retain their own separate properties and identities.
What are covalent bonds?
A chemical bonding of two nonmetal elements that involves sharing their valence electrons instead of giving or receiving them.
Are covalent bonds, or ionic bonds stronger?
Covalent bonds.
How does the bonding of elements apply to a mineral?
Minerals are composed of an ordered array of atoms that have chemically bonded to form a particular crystalline structure. The arrangement of the atoms is reflected in the shapes we call crystals.
