Minerals Flashcards
Name the 4 subgroups that rocks and stones are divided into.
Sedimentary stone
Metamorphic stone
Igneous rock
Man made stones
What is the strict definition of a mineral?
“Homogeneous inorganic crystalline solid occurring in the earth’s crust”
What are examples of things that are sometimes considered to be minerals but that cannot be included in the strict definition of a mineral?
Solidified remains of plant or animal secretions - bitumen(asphalt) , resins like amber
Depositions of animal or plant remains - coral
Naturally occurring compounds with glossy finish - obsidian
To be considered a mineral it must what structure?
Crystalline
Give 4 examples of characteristics of a mineral
Hardness
Color
Ability to be cleaved
Distinctive shapes due to cleaving
(If transparent the mineral can be recognized by optical abilities or the fact that they are transparent)
What is Moh’s scale and how is it used?
It is a measure of hardness and runs from 1-10 in order of increasing hardness.
Definition of hardness according to the scales maker: “which one mineral is said to be harder than another if the former scratches the latter.
What are vein minerals?
Minerals that occurs on their own and not in combination with other minerals.
What is a rock-forming mineral?
Most of them are silicates with small amounts of oxides but the sedimentary rock limestone is also included in this group.
What are some characteristics of rock forming minerals?
The configuration of silicon and oxygen. A very stable arrangement with oxygen at all four corners of a tetrahedron and a single silicon at its center.
What is the definition of an oxidation number?
“the oxidation number of an atom is the charge that atom would have if the compound was composed of ions.”
What is the oxidation number of each atom in H3PO4?
The oxidation number of H is +1 (as per oxidation number gudielines) and the oxidation number of O is -2. The sum of these oxidation numbers is 3(+1) + 4(-2) = -5. Since H3PO4 has no net charge, the oxidation number of P must be +5.
How can we identify oxidation and reduction with the help of the oxidation number?
An increase in oxidation number during a reaction corresponds to oxidation, while a decreases corresponds to reduction.
What is a unit cell?
The smallest part of a crystal structure.
Give an example of manmade rocks.
Terrazzo: (Marble and granite chips embedded in a cement composition)
Agglomerate or conglomerate: (Marble chips embedded in a colored resin composition.)
Cultured or Faux Marble (A mix of resins that are painted or mixed with a paint to looks like marble.)
Name some types of sedimentary stones
Limestone: Mainly consists of calcite (CaCO3)
Sandstone: Is a very durable formation of quartz grains (sand SiO2).
Soapstone: A very soft stone made of a variety of talc (Mg3Si4O10(OH)2)
Fossil stone: Considered a limestone that contains natural fossils.
Travertine: It contains holes that formed from water flowing through the
stone. Classified as a limestone
and a marble.
