Pre-lab Questions Flashcards
List 3 metamorphic minerals
Muscovite, Biotite, Cordierite, Garnet, Zircon, Andalusite, Kyanite
What country is the world’s major source of nickel?
Indonesia
What is the name of the major nickel district in Ontario? And the one in Labrador (Newfoundland)?
Sudbury and Voisies Bay
What environmental effect results from the alteration of pyrite by water?
Pyrite oxidizes and produces sulphuric acid, which can contaminate large bodies of water and streams.
What is emery?
A dark granular rock made up of corundum, magnetite, and spinels. Usually used as an abrasive powder.
What is the general formula of spinel?
MgAl2O4
What is an inverse spinel?
The tetrahedral/octahedral sites are split differently than a regular spinel
Is magnetite an inverse spinel? Explain.
Yes, because the structure is the same as it occupies the octahedral and tetrahedral sites like an inverse spinel
Which carbonates readily react to cold HCl?
Calcite, Malachite, Azurite
Which carbonates only react when the HCl is heated or mineral is powdered?
Dolomite, Siderite, Chrosite
What is the main industrial use of calcite?
Construction materials
What mineral are pearls composed of?
Aragonite (CaCO3)
What is barite used for?
X-Rays / x-ray shielding
What is most tungsten used for?
Heavy metals and steel in tools
Common colour of azurite
Blue
Common colour of dolomite
Pale white/pink
Common colour of malachite
Green
Common colour of rhodochrosite
Pink
Common colour of siderite
Brown
What is lapis lazuli?
A deep blue metamorphic rock which is also a semi-precious gem stone. Includes calcite and pyrite
What is the formation from olivine to serpentine called?
Iddingsite
What is exosolution?
A process where a solid solution separates into two different minerals without the addition or loss of any materials.
What is a miscibility gap?
A gap where there is no distinct solid solution between the two end-members
What is zoning in a mineral?
A spatial variation in the composition of a single mineral grain
