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Earth and Space Science > Minerals > Flashcards

Minerals Flashcards

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1
Q

Minerals are the building blocks of what?

A

Rocks

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2
Q

What are the 5 characteristics of minerals?

A
  1. Naturally occuring
  2. Solid substance
  3. Orderly crystalline struture
  4. Definite chemical composition
  5. Generally considered inorganic
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3
Q

What are the 4 main ways minerals form?

A
  1. Crystallization from magma
  2. Precipitation
  3. Pressure and temperature
  4. Hydrothermal solutions (between 100 degrees C and 300 degrees C)
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4
Q

How are the physical properties of minerals determined?

A

Determined by the internal arrangment of the atoms

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5
Q

What are minerals that have different structural forms of a single chemical element called?

A

Allotropes

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6
Q

How do minerals differ from each other?

A

They are grouped according to their chemical composition

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7
Q

Describe silicates (4 descriptions)

A
  • Most common group of minerals on earth
  • Consists of the two most abundant element’s in Earth’s crust: Silicon and Oxygen
  • Silicon and Oxygen combine to form a structure called the silicon-oxygen tetrahedron. Consists of one silicon atom and four oxygen atoms
  • Quartz is the most common silicate mineral. Feldspar is also common
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8
Q

Describe Carbonates (6 descriptions)

A
  • 2nd most common mineral group
  • Contains the elements carbon, oxygen, and one or more other metallic elements. Formula will contain CO3
  • Calcite (CaCO3) is the most common carbonate mineral
  • Dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) is another common carbonate mineral
  • Both limestone and marble are rocks composed of carbonate minerals
  • Acid will react with carbonates
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9
Q

Describe Oxides (4 descriptions)

A
  • Contain oxygen and one or more other elements, which are usually metals
  • Hematite (Fe2O3) and magnetite (Fe3O4) are common oxides
  • Rutlie (TiO2) is titanium oxide and is formed as magma cools deep beneath Earth’s surface
  • Corundum (AlO3) forms when existing minerals are subjected to changes in temperature and pressure. Red rubies and blue sapphires are popular corundum gemstones
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10
Q

Describe Sulfates (3 descriptions)

A
  • Contains SO4 (sulfer and oxygen)
  • Sulfates form when mineral-rich waters evaporate
  • Examples include anhydrite (CaSO4) and gypsum (CaSO4 * 2H2O)
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11
Q

Describe Sulfides (3 descriptions)

A
  • Contain sulfer and generally one metal
  • Often form from thermal, or hot-water, solutions
  • Galena (PbS), sphalerite (ZnS), and pyrite (FeS2) are common sulfides
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12
Q

Describe Halides (4 descriptions)

A
  • Contain a halogen ion plus one or more other elements
  • Include flourine (F), chlorine (C), bromine (Br), and iodine (I) (elements in group 17 on the periodic table)
  • Halite (NaCl), or table salt, is a common halide
  • Flourite (CaF2) forms when salt water evaporates
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13
Q

Describe Native Elements

A
  • Group of minerals that exsist in relatively pure form
  • Gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), sulfer (S), and carbon (C) are common native elements
  • Native forms of carbon are diamond and graphite
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14
Q

What are the 7 main ways to identify a mineral?

A
  1. Color
  2. Streak
  3. Luster (metallic or nonmetallic)
  4. Hardness (uses Moh’s Hardness Scale)
  5. Breakage pattern (cleavage: pattern/smooth and Fracture: random)
  6. Acid tests (carbonates (like calcite and dolomite) will bubble)
  7. Density or Specific Density (ratio to the density of water)
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15
Q

What are some distinctive properties of minerals? (7)

A
  1. Feel
  2. Magnetic
  3. Double refraction
  4. Smell
  5. Taste
  6. Flame color
  7. Fluorescence
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16
Q

What are some distinctive points on the Moh’s Hardness Scale?

A

2.5 - Fingernail
3 - Copper penny
5.5 - Glass
6.5 - Steel file

17
Q

What are the major rock-forming minerals? (4)

A

Quartz, feldspar, calcite, and mica

18
Q

What is an ore?

A

Ore is a useful metal or valuable mineral that can be mined at a profit. Common ore minerals are: pyrite, magnetite, hematite, galena, graphite, and sulfer

19
Q

What are the major elements found in earth’s crust?

A

Oxygen, silicon, aluminum, and iron

20
Q

Why are the certain common metallic elements (iron, aluminum, silicon) rarely, if ever, found in the native state?

A

These elements are highly reactive and form compounds with other elements

21
Q

Cleavage is cause by the strength of the ______________ within the mineral’s crystal structure

A

Bonds between atoms

22
Q

Who devised the hardness scale?

A

Friedrich Mohs

23
Q

What mineral is magnetic?

A

Magetite (or lodestone)

24
Q

What mineral has double refraction?

A

Calcite

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