Science-Minerals Flashcards
Solution
A mixture in which one substance is often des solved in another.
Geode
A rounded hollow rock that is often lined with mineral crystals.
Crystallization
The process by which atoms are arranged to form a material with a crystal structure.
Streak
Color of a minerals powder.
Greenish Black, gray, white, colorless
Cleavage
The property of splitting evenly along flat surfaces/ smooth break
Luster
How a mineral reflects light from it’s surface.
Metallic, glassy, pearly, greasy, dull, nonmetallic
Fracture
How a mineral breaks apart when it does not split evenly/ jagged break
MOHs hardness scale
A ranking of minerals from softest to hardest/ 1-10.
Crystal
The repeating pattern of a minerals particles in a solid.
A solid with flat sides that meet at sharp edges and corners.
Element
A substance composed of a single kind of atom.
5 properties of minerals
Naturally occurring, inorganic, solid, crystal structure, Definite chemical composition
8 identifying minerals
Color, luster, streak, density, hardness, crystal systems, cleavage & fracture, special properties
Crystal
A solid with flat sides that meet at sharp edges and and corners.
Alloy
A solid mixture of two or more metals
Ore
Rock that contains a metal or economically useful mineral
Compound
A substance formed when 2 or more elements combine and lose their distinct properties
Fluorescence
A minerals ability to glow under ultraviolet light/ glows in the dark
Solid
Substance that keeps it’s shape, because it’s particles can’t flow freely.
True/false
A mineral ALWAYS contains certain elements in it’s definite proportions.
True
True/false
Very few minerals are compounds.
False, almost all
In what 2 ways can elements occur in nature?
- Pure form
2. Part of a compound
What are some examples of minerals that occur as elements instead of compounds?
Copper, silver, gold
True/false
Geologists have identified about 300 minerals.
False, 3,800 minerals
True/false
Each mineral has it’s own specific properties.
True
Why can’t color alone identify most minerals?
- Many minerals are the same color.
2. A mineral can change color.
True/false
Minerals containing metals often have a shiny luster.
True
Density
- Find mass per unit volume
- Each mineral has a characteristic density
- The density of a mineral is it’s mass divided by it’s volume
Hardness
Perform scratch test
Fingernail, penny, nail, scratches glass
Color
Observe surface of mineral
Crystal systems
Observe # and angle of crystal faces
Why does each mineral have it’s own properties, different from every other mineral
Define chemical composition
Acid test
No reaction, bubbles, dissolved
Calcite
Looks glassy, has smooth surface, can be scratched by steel, powder bubbles in vinegar
Crystal shape: hexagonal
Glass, electronic equipment, microscopes
Copper sulfide
A metallic brassy, gray, or bluish shine, can be scratched by steel
Crystal shape: tetragonal
Feldspar
Usually white or pink, has a pearly shine, breaks into flat pieces
Crystal shape: triclinic
Galena
Heavy, has a bright, silvery-gray, metallic shine, is a soft mineral, can be scratched by steel
Crystal shape: cubic
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
Mica
Has a pearly shine, splits into thin, transparent sheets
Crystal structure: monoclinic
Pyrite
Has shiny brassy color, cannot be scratched by steel
Crystal shape: cubic
Quartz
Looks glassy, is very hard, cannot be scratched by steel
Crystal structure: hexagonal
Glass, electronic equipment, watches
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
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
What are the 2 ways in which minerals form?
Magma/lava and solutions
How do minerals form from magma?
Magma cools and forms crystals
Form from melted materials and through crystallization
How do minerals form from solutions?
When solutions evaporate or when solutions cool
Form from dissolved materials and through crystallization
EX: salt
What affects the size of crystals formed from magma?
Cooling rate, amount of gas the magma contains, and the chemical composition
Slow cooling=
BIG crystals
Fast cooling=
small crystals
Why does magma that cools deep below the surface have large crystals?
Cuz slow cooling leads to the formation of big crystals
True/false
Lava cools quickly and forms minerals with small crystals.
True
True/false
Minerals can form when solutions evaporate.
True
How do minerals form from hot water solution?
Hot water holds more materials as the water cools, minerals crystallize
Vein
Narrow channel or slab of a mineral that is much different from the surrounding rock
How do veins form?
Hot water cools in cracks, minerals crystallize
Gem
A gemstone that has been cut and polished
Jewelry, mechanical parts, decoration, abrasives, grinding and polishing
Gemstone
Any hard, colorful mineral that has a brilliant or glassy luster
5 examples of metals
Aluminum, iron, copper, silver, gold
Why are metals useful?
They can be stretched into wire, flattened into sheets, and hammered or molded without breaking.
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.
Gypsum
Wallboard, cement, stucco
True/false
Most metals occur in a pure form.
False, they do NOT appear in pure form, most metals are compounds
Prospector
Anyone who searches for an ore deposit
What features do geologists look for when they prospect for ores?
Look for veins and study maps by using seismic waves
True/false
The map of an ore deposit helps miners decide how to mine the ore.
True
What are the 3 types of mines?
Strip, shaft, and pit
Open pit mine
Starts near the surface & extends deep underground; giant hole
Shaft mine
Occurs in veins; network of tunnels
Strip mine
Is exposed on the surface; scrapes away the surface
True/false
People first devolved smelting in the 1800’s.
False, they’ve been doing it for thousands of years
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
Why are alloys useful?
For stainless steal, because it uses machines and utensils
How do geologists classify crystal structure?
6 groups