Minerals Flashcards
mineral resource
minerals or rocks mined for products
Mineral commodities
specific elements extracted from processing minerals
ex of mineral commodity
(want aluminum)
extract gibbsite (mineral containing aluminum) from bauxite
beneficiation to make computer chips
extract silicon from quartz
what elements does hematite have?
iron & oxygen
benefication
process of extracting desired mineral or element from and ore
what are the five characteristics that define a mineral
- naturally occurring or mimics nature
- Inorganic or identical to inorganic material
- Solid
- Orderly crystalline structure/chemically homogeneous
- definite chemical comp. that allows for some variation
inorganic
inorganic: found naturally in the ground and have no carbon chains attached to hydrogen
how are animals involved in the production of inorganic minerals?
what do annimals secrete (mineral) & in what forms? when is it a mineral
secrete calcite in the form of shells or coral reefs, when buried, they’re considered minerals
Is volcanic glass considered a mineral?
no, doesn’t have an orderly crystalline structure
explain the fifth characteristic of minerals
specimen of same mineral have the same chemical formula (equal proportions of atoms), but can have impurities that cause composition to vary
Impurities
element can substitute other elements of similar size without changing the mineral’s internal structure
4 example of minerals containing one element and what that element is
gold (Au), diamonds (C), native copper (Cu), sulfur (S)
Chemical formula of quartz, hematite, and halite
SiO2
Fe2O3
NaCl
Will specimen of the same mineral break in the same fashion?
yes
What varies with specimen of the same mineral and what doesn’t?
physical properties change, but chemical properties don’t
Diagnostic properties
ex. halite
aid in mineral identification (something unique about that mineral)
halite-salty
Ambiguous properties
ex.
properties that vary among specimen of the same mineral
color
what are some minerals that come in a variety of colors?
quartz and flourite
Luster
the appearance/quality of light reflected from the surface of a mineral
metallic luster
minerals that have the appearance of a metal (shiny)
what are examples of minerals that have two types of luster
submetallic and metallic
galena and native copper: metallic but when exposed to atmosphere, they get tarnished and dull (submetallic luster)
Nonmetallic luster adjectives
vitreous (glassy), dull/earthy, pearly, silky, greasy
Streak
what’s a streak plate made of?
Color of a mineral in powdered form
porcelain
