Topic 2

Question 1

what is a mineral

Answer 1

naturally occurring, inorganic, crystalline solid, with a definite, but variable chemical composition

Question 2

minerals can be defined by these physical properties

Answer 2

color, lustre, clarity, streak, habit, fracture, cleavage, hardness

Question 3

color

Answer 3

the color….. least useful

Question 4

lustre

Answer 4

describes how a mineral reflects light

Question 5

clarity

Answer 5

the ability to transmit light

Question 6

streak

Answer 6

the color of powdered mineral

Question 7

habit

Answer 7

shape that the mineral will naturally grow

Question 8

fracture

Answer 8

refers to how a mineral breaks

Question 9

cleavage

Answer 9

some minerals break along naturally existing planes of weakness

Question 10

hardness

Answer 10

how hard a mineral is

Question 11

4 naturally occurring materials that make up earths crust

Answer 11

minerals, soil, fossils, rocks

Question 12

difference between a rock and mineral

Answer 12

mineral has a single crystal, rocks consist of many crystals

Question 13

aggregate of crytals

Answer 13

built entirely out of whole unbroken minerals only

Question 14

aggregate of grains

Answer 14

built out of fragments of rocks, minerals, fossils

Question 15

crystalline versus amorphous

Answer 15

crystalline forms a crystal lattice
amorphous are randomly arranged