Rocks and Minerals Unit Test Flashcards
What are the most abundant elements in the Earth’s crust?
Silicon and Oxygen
A combination of Silicon and Oxygen forms a _______ with 4 oxygen atoms and 1 silicon atom
pyramid
What is the pyramid formation that Silicon and Oxygen form called?
silica tetrahedral
Minerals that are composed of Oxygen and Silicon are called
Silicates
All mineral identification properties
Luster, Streak, Hardness, Cleavage/Fracture, Common Colors, Composition
Luster
how light behaves on the surface of a mineral
metallic (dark streak) or non-metallic
Streak
use a streak plate to see if there is a dark streak (metallic) or no/white streak
Hardness
Mohs Scale of Hardness; 1-10; use a glass plate to test hardness
minerals that are harder are more difficult to scratch
Cleavage/Fracture
how the mineral breaks based on the internal arrangement of atoms
Cleavage breaks the same way/pattern
Fracture - uneven breakage, no pattern, broken pieces are not the same
Common Colors
not usually a good property to rely on because the minerals can be different but the color is the same
Composition
is what the mineral is made of…chemical symbols are on the bottom of page 16
What determines the difference between the three types of rocks?
Based on where & how the rock formed along with its mineral composition
Environment of Formation for Igneous Rocks
Extrusive (volcanic)
Intrusive (plutonic)
Extrusive
lava solidifies quickly at or near the surface → rocks can be non crystalline/glassy or have crystals <1mm
Vesicular
gas pockets
Intrusive
magma solidifies slowly deep underground → rocks
have larger crystals >1mm
How do igneous rocks form?
Solidification or Crystallization of magma/lava
solidification/crystallization
magma and lava hardening to form rocks and crystals
nWhatare the two different igneous rock characteristics in the identificatio chart?
Felsic: light in color, low in density (left side of the chart)
Mafic: dark in color, high in density (right side of the chart)
monomineralic
Rocks made of one mineral
polymineralic
Rocks made of many minerals
Formation processes of sedimentary rocks
weathering & erosion; deposition & burial; compaction and/or cementation
Sedimentary can contain _______
fossils
Three types of Sedimentary rocks
Clastic, Crystalline, Bioclastic
Clastic
made of fragments (pieces of other rocks/sediments) cemented together; classified by grain size
Crystalline
crystals from chemical precipitates or evaporites; monomineralic
Bioclastic
precipitates of biologic origin or cemented shell fragments or compacted plant remains
Metamorphic rocks are formed by _______ and _______
heat and pressure
Metamorphic are formed from ________
other rocks
Two types of Metamorphism
Regional and Contact
Regional metamorphism
Rock is put under intense pressure and heat over large areas
Contact metamorphism
Rock is heated by lava or magma
Two categories or metamorphism
Foliated and Non-Foliated
Foliated
shows mineral alignment and banding(only gneiss) - layering
Non-Foliated
can be monomineralic or crystalline
Weathering
breakdown of rock material (chemical or physical)
stuff dissolves _____ in smaller pieces
faster
When you break something up, the object has _____ surface area
more
Chemical weathering happens more in _____ and ______ environments
hot and wet
Physical weathering
occurs when physical processes affect the rock, such as changes in temperature or when the rock is exposed to the effects of wind, rain and waves
*Go to the sugar cube lab and read it
wassup
