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Physical Geology > Unit 2 Vocab *bolded* > Flashcards

Unit 2 Vocab *bolded* Flashcards

1
Q

Chemical Properties

A

Characteristics that describe how a substance reacts with other substances to make new substances

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2
Q

Ion

A

Atom or molecule that has a - or + charge

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3
Q

Isotope

A

atom with the same # of protons but a different number of neutrons as other atoms of the same element

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4
Q

Neutron

A

Neutral charge subatomic particle

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5
Q

Electron

A
  • charge subatomic particle
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6
Q

unified atomic mass unit (u)

A

unit of measure for the mass of subatomic particles

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7
Q

physical properties

A

characteristics that can be observed without changing the substance

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8
Q

Atomic #

A

The # of protons in the nucleus of an atom

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9
Q

Proton

A

+ charge subatomic particle

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10
Q

Mass #

A

the sum of the # of protons and neutrons in an atom

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11
Q

Fracture

A

The way in which a mineral breaks along irregular or curved surfaces

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12
Q

Streak

A

The color of a mineral in powdered form

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13
Q

radioactivity

A

the decay of a mineral’s unstable atomic nuclei over time

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14
Q

Density

A

the ratio of mass to volume in a substance

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15
Q

Magnetism

A

the ability of a mineral to attract iron

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16
Q

chatoyancy

A

the cat’s-eye effect in minerals

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17
Q

cleavage

A

the tendency of a mineral to form smooth, flat surfaces along breaks

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18
Q

fluorescence

A

the ability of a mineral to glow under ultraviolet light

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19
Q

luster

A

the way in which a mineral reflects light

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20
Q

asterism

A

the appearance of a six-sided star shape when a mineral reflects light

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21
Q

Matter

A

anything that has mass and takes up space

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22
Q

element

A

a substance that cannot be separated or broken down into simpler substances by chemical means

23
Q

Atom

A

smallest unit of an element that maintains the chemical properties of that element

24
Q

Periods

A

horizontal rows on the periodic table

25
Groups
vertical columns on periodic table; determines the chemical property
26
Valence electrons
the # of outermost electrons in the atom's electron cloud
27
Compounds
substance that is made of 2 or more elements that are joined by chemical bonds between the atoms of those elements
28
Molecule
made up of atoms that are chemically bonded together
29
mixture
combination of 2 or more substance that are NOT chemically combined
30
Half-Life
the time taken for the radioactivity of a specific isotope to fall to half its original value
31
radiometric dating
method of determining the absolute age of an object by comparing the relative percentages of a radioactive (parent) isotope and a stable (daughter) isotope
32
Mineral
a natural, usually inorganic solid that has a characteristic chemical composition, an orderly internal structure, and a characteristic set of physical properties
33
silicate minerals
a mineral that DOES contains a combination of silicon and oxygen and that may also contain one or more metals
34
Nonsilicate minerals
a mineral that does NOT contain compounds of silicon and oxygen
35
Mineralogists
a person who examines, analyzes, and classifies minerals
36
Hardness
the measure of the ability of a mineral to resist scratching
37
crystal structure
a crystal will grow in very specific/ particular predictable pattern
38
Phosphorescence
some minerals will continue to glow after UV light is turned off; indicates phosphorous containing minerals
39
Double Refraction
light rays that pass through certain transparent minerals and interact differently
40
chemical sedimentary rock
sedimentary rock that forms when minerals precipitate from a solution or settle from a suspension
41
Organic sedimentary rock
sedimentary rock that forms from the remains of plants or animals
42
Clastic sedimentary rock
sedimentary rock that forms when fragments of preexisting rocks are compacted or cemented together
43
Metamorphism
process in which one type of rock changes into metamorphic rock because of chemical processes or changes in temperature and pressure
44
contact metamorphism
a change in the texture, structure, or chemical composition of a rock due to contact with magma
45
regional metamorphism
a change in the texture, structure, or chemical composition of a rock due to changes in temperature and pressure over a large area, generally as a result of tectonic forces
46
Nonrenewable resources
a resource that forms at a rate that is much slower than the rate at which the resource is consumed
47
fossil fuels
nonrenewable energy resource formed from the remains of organisms that lived long ago; made up of hydrocarbons
48
coal
most commonly burned fossil fuel made from the remains of once living plants
49
Petroleum and Natural Gas
Microorganisms and plants died in shallow prehistoric oceans and lakes, their remains accumulated on the ocean floor and lake bottoms eventually buried by sediment
50
nuclear energy
energy that is produced from the interaction of atomic nuclei, typically the break down of atoms
51
nuclear fission
process by which the nucleus of a heavy atom SPLITS into two or more fragments; releases neutrons and energy
52
nuclear fusion
process by which nuclei of small atoms combine to form a new, more massive nucleus; process releases energy
53
renewable resources
natural resource that can be replaced at the same rate at which the resource is consumed
54
rock
made most of solid parts and minerals

Physical Geology (10 decks)

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