Minerals Flashcards
What is a mineral?
- Naturally occurring
- Inorganic (no C-H bonds)
- Solid
- Ordered atomic arrangement (ie. crystalline)
- Specific chemical formula
Minerals are known as
The building blocks of life
Ionic Bonding is present in:
- oxides
- sulphates
- carbonates
Covalent Bonding is found in:
- native copper
- silver
- gold
crystal growth is inhibited by:
lack of:
- space
- time
Glass vs Crystal
Crystal: ordered structure
Glass: disordered structure
Diamond
Mineral
Graphite
mineral
polymorphs
same chemical composition, different crystal structures.
ie. diamond and graphite
sugar
non-mineral
coal
non-mineral
volcanic glass
non-mineral
shell
mineral
teeth and bone (apatite)
mineral
Covalent/metallic bonds
electron sharing
ionic bonds
electron transfer
True/False: beautiful crystals occur naturally?
False. More often, crystals nucleate and grow quickly, bumping into one another in the process. (Grains).
Glass
- Occurs when crystals don’t have time to nucleate
- Develop when cooling occurs rapidly
Silicates form ___% of rock-forming minerals (crust)
92%
Key characteristic of silicates
Silicon tetrahedron backbone
Types of silicates
- Isolated tetrahedra (olivine (8%))
- Single chain (pyroxene (11%))
- Double chain (amphibole (5%))
- Sheets (mica (5%))
- Framework (feldspar (51%); quartz(12%))
Non-silicates make up ___% of the crust
8%
Non-silicates
- carbonates
- oxide minerals
- sulphate minerals
- halide minerals
Physical properties of minerals
- Hardness
- Cleavage
- Luster
- Colour
- Density
- Crystal habit
Hardness
How difficult a mineral is to scratch
Cleavage
- How a mineral breaks apart (smooth or jagged/wavy)
- indicates planes of internal heterogeneities
Luster
metallic or non-metallic
Colour
Note: impurities can affect colour, so on its own, colour is not a reliable way to classify
Crystal habit
Description of the crystal’s general shape
Mineral diversity spiked following what historic event?
The Great Oxidation Event
nearly 1/2 of the minerals present in the crust arose due to _____ and _____ of other, pre-existing minerals in an oxidized environment
Example?
a) oxidation
b)hydrolysis (weathering)
Example: rust –> oxidation of iron
