rock and mineral vocab Flashcards
Mineral
a solid inorganic substance of natural occurrence.
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 part or aspect of something abstract, especially one that is essential or characteristic.
compound
any substance composed of identical molecules consisting of atoms of two or more chemical elements.
crystal
a piece of a homogeneous solid substance having a natural geometrically regular form with symmetrically arranged plane faces.
color
the quality of an object or substance with respect to light reflected by the object, usually determined visually by measurement of hue, saturation, and brightness of the reflected light.
luster
a gentle sheen or soft glow, especially that of a partly reflective surface.
streak
the color of a mineral in its powdered form.
cleavage
tendency of a crystalline substance to split into fragments bounded by plane surfaces.
fracture
A fracture is any separation in a geologic formation, such as a joint or a fault that divides the rock into two or more pieces. A fracture will sometimes form a deep fissure or crevice in the rock.
density
How hard or soft the rock is.
ore
a naturally occurring solid material from which a metal or valuable mineral can be profitably extracted.
metallic minerals
minerals which contain one or more metallic elements. Metallic minerals occur in rare, naturally formed concentrations known as mineral deposits.
non metallic minerals
a special group of chemical elements from which no new product can be generated if they are melted.
gemstones
a precious or semiprecious stone, especially one cut, polished, and used in a piece of jewelry.
