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Geology 101 > Minerals > Flashcards

Minerals Flashcards

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1
Q

How many known mineral types are there?

A

~4500

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2
Q

How many minerals are common enough to be considered rock-formers?

A

40

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3
Q

How many minerals are common all over the earth?

A

12

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4
Q

How many minerals make up 90% of the earth’s crustal weight?

A

10

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5
Q

Most minerals are a combination of what?

A

Oxygen (O) and Silicon (Si)

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6
Q

What are the most abundant elements in the Lithosphere?

A

Oxygen (O), Silicon (Si), and Aluminum (Al)

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7
Q

Essential Mineral

A

Must be present to make a specific rock.

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8
Q

Accessory Mineral

A

Doesn’t matter whether or not it’s in a rock and doesn’t change the type of rock.

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9
Q

Mineral

must be…

A
  • Inorganic (non-living)
  • Natural
  • Solid
  • Contain an orderly structure of chemical composition
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10
Q

What are the 2 mineral chemical classes?

A

Silicates and Carbonates

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11
Q

What is the most abundant mineral group and makes up 50% of the earth’s crust?

A

Feldspar

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12
Q

What is the second most common mineral in the continental crust?

A

Quartz

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13
Q

What is the basic building block of geology?

A

Silica Tetrahedra

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14
Q

What are the 2 silicate subgroups?

A

Ferromagnesian and Non-Ferromagnesian

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15
Q

Ferromagnesian

A
  • Contains Iron (Fe) and Magnesium (Mg)
  • Dark in color
  • Specific gravity between 3.2 and 3.6

MAFIC

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16
Q

Non-Ferromagnesian

A
  • DOES NOT contain Iron (Fe) and Magnesium (Mg)
  • Light in color
  • Average specific gravity of 2.7

FELSIC

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17
Q

Mafic

A

Ferromagnesian (dark colored)

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18
Q

Felsic

A

Non-Ferromagnesian (light colored)

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19
Q

Ferromagnesian Silicates (basic rock-formers)

A
  • Olivine
  • Augite (Pyroxene)
  • Hornblende (Amphibole)
  • Biotite (Mica)
  • Garnet (dark)
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20
Q

Olivine

A
  • Vitreous luster
  • Olive-Green color
  • Scratches glass
  • No cleavage
  • Granular masses
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21
Q

Augite

A
  • Vitreous luster
  • Dark Green or Black color
  • Scratches glass
  • Shows cleavage
  • Stubby crystal
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22
Q

Hornblende

A
  • Vitreous luster
  • Dark Green or Black color
  • Scratches glass
  • Shows cleavage
  • Hexagonal and elongated
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23
Q

Biotite

A
  • Vitreous/Pearly luster
  • Dark Green, Brown, or Black color
  • Does not scratch glass
  • Shows cleavage
  • Forms thin elastic sheets
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24
Q

Garnet

A
  • Vitreous/Resinous luster
  • Dark Red or Reddish Brown color
  • Scratches glass
  • No cleavage
  • Brittle

*Also comes in Felsic light colors

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25
Q

Non-Ferromagnesian Silicates (basic rock-formers)

A
  • Feldspar
  • Muscovite (Mica)
  • Quartz
  • Talc
  • Kaolinite (Kaolin)
  • Garnet (light)
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26
Q

Feldspar

A
  • Vitreous luster
  • White, Cream, Pink, Gray, or Reddish Brown color
  • Scratches glass
  • Shows cleavage
  • Comes in Plagioclase and Orthoclase (Potassium K Feldspar)
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27
Q

Muscovite

A
  • Vitreous/Silky/Pearly luster
  • Colorless, Green, Gray, or Brown color
  • Does not scratch glass
  • Shows cleavage
  • Thin flexible elastic sheets
28
Q

Quartz

A
  • Vitreous luster
  • Colorless or any color
  • Scratches glass
  • No cleavage
  • Hexagonal crystal with striation marks and conchoidal fractures
29
Q

Talc

A
  • Pearly/Greasy/Dull luster
  • Pale Green color
  • Does not scratch glass
  • Shows cleavage
  • Soapy feel
30
Q

Kaolinite

A
  • Dull/Earthy luster
  • White color
  • Does not scratch glass
  • No cleavage
  • Earthy smell when damp
31
Q

Non-Silicate Mineral groups

A
  • Carbonates
  • Oxides
  • Sulfides
  • Sulfates
  • Halides
32
Q

Carbonates

A
  • Calcite

* Dolomite

33
Q

Calcite

A
  • Vitreous luster
  • Colorless, White, or variety of color
  • Does not scratch glass
  • Shows cleavage
  • Fizzes with hydrochloric acid (HCl) and double refraction
34
Q

Dolomite

A
  • Vitreous/Pearly luster
  • Colorless, White, Pink, Gray, Greenish, or Yellow-Brown color
  • Does not scratch glass
  • Shows cleavage
  • Crystals common, fizzes with hydrochloric acid (HCl) in powder form
35
Q

Oxides

A
  • Hematite
  • Limonite (Goethite)
  • Magnetite
36
Q

Hematite

A
  • Sub-Metallic/Earthy luster
  • Red or Red-Brown color
  • Does not scratch glass
  • No cleavage
  • Blood colored streak
37
Q

Limonite

A
  • Earthy luster
  • Yellow, Yellow-Brown, or Brownish-Black color
  • Does not scratch glass
  • No cleavage
  • Earthy masses
38
Q

Magnetite

A
  • Metallic Luster
  • Black color
  • Scratches glass
  • No cleavage
  • Strongly magnetic
39
Q

Sulfides

A
  • Pyrite
  • Chalcopyrite
  • Galena
40
Q

Pyrite

A
  • Metallic luster
  • Brass-Yellow color
  • Scratches glass
  • No cleavage
  • Cubic crystals with striation marks “Fool’s Gold”
41
Q

Chalcopyrite

A
  • Metallic luster
  • Brass-Yellow color
  • Does not scratch glass
  • No cleavage
  • Usually massive
42
Q

Galena

A
  • Bright Metallic luster
  • Shiny Lead-Gray color
  • Does not scratch glass
  • Shows cleavage
  • Perfect cubic cleavage
43
Q

Sulfates

A

• Gypsum

44
Q

Gypsum

A
  • Vitreous/Pearly luster
  • Colorless, White, Gray, Yellowish-Orange, or Light Brown color
  • Does not scratch glass
  • Shows cleavage
  • Fracture may be fibrous
45
Q

Halides

A

• Halite

46
Q

Halite

A
  • Vitreous luster
  • Colorless, White, Gray, Yellow, or Red color
  • Does not scratch glass
  • Shows cleavage
  • Tastes like salt and perfect cubic cleavage
47
Q

Ferrous minerals contain ______?

A

Iron (Fe)

48
Q

Vitreous

A

Glassy

49
Q

Luster

A

The way the mineral shines, metallic or non-metallic.

50
Q

Why is color a poor way to identify minerals?

A

1) Many minerals come in the same color.
2) Any 1 mineral can come in a variety of colors.
3) Surfaces can tarnish due to oxidation.

51
Q

Streak

A

The true color of the mineral in powder form.

52
Q

How many crystal systems are there?

A

6

53
Q

Crystalline

A

You can see the crystal with the naked eye.

54
Q

Massive

A

You need the help of magnification to see the crystal.

55
Q

Amorphous

A

No crystal shape at all.

56
Q

Hardness

A

Fingernail - 2.5
Copper - 3.5
Glass Plate - 5.5
Streak Plate - 6.5

57
Q

Cleavage

A

Breaks upon points of weakness.

58
Q

Fracture

A

Unpredictable break.

59
Q

Conchoidal Fracture

A

Curvy shell-like break.

60
Q

Specific Gravity

A

Weight density.

> 4 usually metal

61
Q

Acid testing with HCl is for what group of non-silicates?

A

Carbonates

62
Q

What are some other tests for mineral identification?

A

Taste, Smell, Sound, Magnetism, Radioactivity, Optical, Phosphorescence (continual glow), Fluorescence, and Flame Test

63
Q

Diaphaneity

A

Ability to transmit light.

  • Transparent
  • Translucent
  • Opaque
64
Q

Tenacity

A

Resistance to being broken or bent.

  • Brittle (shatters)
  • Elastic (returns to its original shape)
  • Flexible (doe not return to its original shape)
65
Q

The 4 C’s for Diamonds

A

Cut
Color
Clarity
Carat

66
Q

Lithosphere

A

The solid crust of the earth.

Geology 101 (3 decks)

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