Rock and Mineral Vocab Flashcards
Mineral
a naturally formed inorganic solid that has a definite crystal line structure
rock
the solid mineral material forming part of the surface of the earth and other similar planets, exposed on the surface or underlying the soil or oceans
element
a substance that cannot be separated or broken down into simpler substances by chemical means
compound
a substance made up of atoms of 2 or more different elements joined by chemical bonds
crystal
a solid whose atoms ions or molecules are arranged in a definite pattern
color
the property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as a result of the way the object reflects or emits light.
luster
the way in which a mineral reflects light
streak
the color of the powder of a mineral
cleavage
the splitting of a mineral along smooth flat surfaces
fracture
the manner in which a mineral breaks along either curved or irregular surfaces
hardness
a measure of the ability of a mineral to resist scratching
density
the ratio of the mass of a substance to the volume of the substance
ore
a natural material whose concentration of economically valuable minerals is high enough for the material to be mined profitably
metallic minerals
Minerals with a high specific gravity and metallic luster, such as titanium, rutile, tungsten, uranium, tin, lead, iron, etc.
non-metallic minerals
not shiny
