Rock and Minerals Vocabulary Flashcards
Mineral
a solid inorganic substance of natural occurrence.
Rock
A naturally occurring solid mixture of one or more minerals or organic matter.
Element
a part or aspect of something abstract, especially one that is essential or characteristic.
compound
a thing that is composed of two or more separate elements; a mixture.
crystal
a piece of a homogeneous solid substance having a natural geometrically regular form with symmetrically arranged plane faces.
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
a gentle sheen or soft glow, especially that of a partly reflective surface.
Streak
a long, thin line or mark of a different substance or color from its surroundings.
Cleavage
a sharp division; a split.
Fracture
the cracking or breaking of a hard object or material.
Density
the degree of compactness of a substance.
Ore
a naturally occurring solid material from which a metal or valuable mineral can be profitably extracted.
Metallic Minerals
These deposits can consist of a variety of metallic minerals containing valuable metals such as nickel, copper, zinc , lead and gold occurs as a native element or as a minor constituent within other minerals that are used in all aspects of our daily lives.
Non-Metallic Minerals
Non-metallic mineral reserves consist of stone quarries and clay and sand pits; chemical and fertilizer mineral deposits; salt deposits; deposits of quartz, gypsum, natural gem stones, asphalt and bitumen, peat and other non-metallic minerals other than coal and petroleum.
Gemstones
a precious or semiprecious stone, especially one cut, polished, and used in a piece of jewelry.
Igneous Rock
Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ignites meaning fire), or magma-tic rock, is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava.
Sedimentary Rock
Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at the Earth’s surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles to settle in place.
Metamorphic Rock
Metamorphic rocks were once igneous or sedimentary rocks, but have been changed (metamorphosed) as a result of intense heat and/or pressure within the Earth’s crust. They are crystalline and often have a “squashed” (defoliate or banded) texture.
