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Science-Minerals Flashcards

1
Q

Solution

A

A mixture in which one substance is often des solved in another.

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2
Q

Geode

A

A rounded hollow rock that is often lined with mineral crystals.

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3
Q

Crystallization

A

The process by which atoms are arranged to form a material with a crystal structure.

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4
Q

Streak

A

Color of a minerals powder.

Greenish Black, gray, white, colorless

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5
Q

Cleavage

A

The property of splitting evenly along flat surfaces/ smooth break

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6
Q

Luster

A

How a mineral reflects light from it’s surface.

Metallic, glassy, pearly, greasy, dull, nonmetallic

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7
Q

Fracture

A

How a mineral breaks apart when it does not split evenly/ jagged break

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8
Q

MOHs hardness scale

A

A ranking of minerals from softest to hardest/ 1-10.

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9
Q

Crystal

A

The repeating pattern of a minerals particles in a solid.

A solid with flat sides that meet at sharp edges and corners.

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10
Q

Element

A

A substance composed of a single kind of atom.

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11
Q

5 properties of minerals

A

Naturally occurring, inorganic, solid, crystal structure, Definite chemical composition

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12
Q

8 identifying minerals

A

Color, luster, streak, density, hardness, crystal systems, cleavage & fracture, special properties

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13
Q

Crystal

A

A solid with flat sides that meet at sharp edges and and corners.

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14
Q

Alloy

A

A solid mixture of two or more metals

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15
Q

Ore

A

Rock that contains a metal or economically useful mineral

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16
Q

Compound

A

A substance formed when 2 or more elements combine and lose their distinct properties

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17
Q

Fluorescence

A

A minerals ability to glow under ultraviolet light/ glows in the dark

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18
Q

Solid

A

Substance that keeps it’s shape, because it’s particles can’t flow freely.

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19
Q

True/false

A mineral ALWAYS contains certain elements in it’s definite proportions.

A

True

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20
Q

True/false

Very few minerals are compounds.

A

False, almost all

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21
Q

In what 2 ways can elements occur in nature?

A
  1. Pure form

2. Part of a compound

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22
Q

What are some examples of minerals that occur as elements instead of compounds?

A

Copper, silver, gold

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23
Q

True/false

Geologists have identified about 300 minerals.

A

False, 3,800 minerals

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24
Q

True/false

Each mineral has it’s own specific properties.

A

True

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25
Why can't color alone identify most minerals?
1. Many minerals are the same color. | 2. A mineral can change color.
26
True/false | Minerals containing metals often have a shiny luster.
True
27
Density
1. Find mass per unit volume 2. Each mineral has a characteristic density 3. The density of a mineral is it's mass divided by it's volume
28
Hardness
Perform scratch test Fingernail, penny, nail, scratches glass
29
Color
Observe surface of mineral
30
Crystal systems
Observe # and angle of crystal faces
31
Why does each mineral have it's own properties, different from every other mineral
Define chemical composition
32
Acid test
No reaction, bubbles, dissolved
33
Calcite
Looks glassy, has smooth surface, can be scratched by steel, powder bubbles in vinegar Crystal shape: hexagonal Glass, electronic equipment, microscopes
34
Copper sulfide
A metallic brassy, gray, or bluish shine, can be scratched by steel Crystal shape: tetragonal
35
Feldspar
Usually white or pink, has a pearly shine, breaks into flat pieces Crystal shape: triclinic
36
Galena
Heavy, has a bright, silvery-gray, metallic shine, is a soft mineral, can be scratched by steel Crystal shape: cubic
37
Halite
Evaporated salt water/ evaporation of solution Usually transparent and colorless, feels sticky, can stand up on any side, dissolves easily in water Crystal shape: cubic Deposits are formed along the gulf coast, formed when ancient seas evaporated, found in the midwest and southwest
38
Mica
Has a pearly shine, splits into thin, transparent sheets Crystal structure: monoclinic
39
Pyrite
Has shiny brassy color, cannot be scratched by steel Crystal shape: cubic
40
Quartz
Looks glassy, is very hard, cannot be scratched by steel Crystal structure: hexagonal Glass, electronic equipment, watches
41
Sulfur
Pure form, usually light yellow, crystals are almost transparent; other pieces glisten and look greasy, can be scratched with a fingernail, has an identifiable, pungent odor Crystal shape: orthorhombic
42
Talc
Usually apple-green, white, or gray, has a pearly shine, feels greasy, fine-grained, so soft it can be scratched with a fingernail Crystal shape: monoclinic Powder
43
What are the 2 ways in which minerals form?
Magma/lava and solutions
44
How do minerals form from magma?
Magma cools and forms crystals Form from melted materials and through crystallization
45
How do minerals form from solutions?
When solutions evaporate or when solutions cool Form from dissolved materials and through crystallization EX: salt
46
What affects the size of crystals formed from magma?
Cooling rate, amount of gas the magma contains, and the chemical composition
47
Slow cooling=
BIG crystals
48
Fast cooling=
small crystals
49
Why does magma that cools deep below the surface have large crystals?
Cuz slow cooling leads to the formation of big crystals
50
True/false | Lava cools quickly and forms minerals with small crystals.
True
51
True/false | Minerals can form when solutions evaporate.
True
52
How do minerals form from hot water solution?
Hot water holds more materials as the water cools, minerals crystallize
53
Vein
Narrow channel or slab of a mineral that is much different from the surrounding rock
54
How do veins form?
Hot water cools in cracks, minerals crystallize
55
Gem
A gemstone that has been cut and polished Jewelry, mechanical parts, decoration, abrasives, grinding and polishing
56
Gemstone
Any hard, colorful mineral that has a brilliant or glassy luster
57
5 examples of metals
Aluminum, iron, copper, silver, gold
58
Why are metals useful?
They can be stretched into wire, flattened into sheets, and hammered or molded without breaking.
59
What are some uses of metals?
Metal tools, machinery, metal filament in a lightbulb, aluminum foil, and the steel beams used to frame office buildings.
60
Gypsum
Wallboard, cement, stucco
61
True/false | Most metals occur in a pure form.
False, they do NOT appear in pure form, most metals are compounds
62
Prospector
Anyone who searches for an ore deposit
63
What features do geologists look for when they prospect for ores?
Look for veins and study maps by using seismic waves
64
True/false | The map of an ore deposit helps miners decide how to mine the ore.
True
65
What are the 3 types of mines?
Strip, shaft, and pit
66
Open pit mine
Starts near the surface & extends deep underground; giant hole
67
Shaft mine
Occurs in veins; network of tunnels
68
Strip mine
Is exposed on the surface; scrapes away the surface
69
True/false | People first devolved smelting in the 1800's.
False, they've been doing it for thousands of years
70
Describe the smelting of iron ore.
They crush the ore into thousands of pieces, it goes up an elector and into a furnace, the heat it up till the metal separates from the rock, then they poor/pull off the metal and get rid of the slag
71
Why are alloys useful?
For stainless steal, because it uses machines and utensils
72
How do geologists classify crystal structure?
6 groups

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