Module 3 Flashcards
What do minerals form on Earth?
Bedrock
What is an important component of soil?
Minerals
Who studies rocks of all sorts?
Petrologists
What do farmers rely on for good crops?
Soil
What is the process involving minerals called?
Mineralogy
What mineral is used as an example of a pure substance?
Quartz
Which organization tracks approved minerals?
International Minerology Association (IMA)
What color are the dominant olivine grains in the sand?
Green
What material besides minerals is mentioned in sand composition?
Shells
To what mineral family does aquamarine, emerald, morganite belong?
Beryl
What is the defining characteristic of dogtooth spar?
Crystal shape
How would you describe Iceland spar’s appearance?
Clear
What element primarily causes the color variation in beryl?
Trace elements
What mineral is ruby a variety of?
Corundum
What gemstone is often used in water softeners?
Zeolite
What process creates synthetic minerals?
Synthesis
What is another name for synthetic gemstones?
Simulants
What color is most common for sapphires?
Blue
What is the origin of the natural topaz in ?
Sri Lanka
What treatment enhances the color of commercial blue topaz?
Heat
What is the defining characteristic of crystalline minerals?
Orderly structure
What is a special exception to the definition of a mineral?
Mercury
Why is mercury considered a mineral despite being liquid at Earth’s surface?
Naturally occurring
Where is a famous cinnabar locale located?
Almaden, Spain
What are mineraloids?
Amorphous solids
What is an example of a mineraloid?
Obsidian
Living organisms produce crystalline materials through a process.
Biomineralization
For how many years have organisms produced biominerals?
600 million
What mineral makes up teeth?
Calcium carbonate
What is an example of a mineral formed by inorganic processes?
Limestones
What is an example of an anthropogenically formed mineral?
Goethite
American mineralogist?
James Dwight Dana
The linking forms atomic structures called?
Polymers
