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24 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
atom
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The smallest part of matter that still contains the characteristics of an element.
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cleavage
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The tendency of a mineral to break along definite planes of weak bonding. Halite cleaves into cubes. Mica cleaves into flat plates.
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compound
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When chemical bonding joins two or more elements together in definite proportions, the substance is called a compound.
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molecule
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Compound of two or more atoms, the smallest unit of chemical compounds.
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element
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A large collection of electrically neutral atoms that all have a nucleus of the same "weight" . . that is the same number of protons in the nucleus.
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crystal form
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The crystal form is the external expression of a mineral that reflects the orderly internal arrangement of atoms.
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electron
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A very light particle travelling at high speeds around the nucleus of an atom. Electrons have a negative electrical charge.
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energy levels or shells
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Specific zones of negative charge around the nucleus of an atom created by the rapid motion of electrons in spherical shells.
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fracture
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Minerals that do not cleave along specific zones of weakness are said to fracture. Fracture surfaces are irregular or smooth and curved. Fracture surfaces are never flat and planar.
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ferromagnesian silicates
(dark silicates) |
Rock-forming minerals containing iron or magnesium, or both. The minerals are dark in color and have a fairly heavy specific gravity.
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hardness
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The resistance of a mineral to abrasion or scratching.
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isotope
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Varieties of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons.
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OMIT - we'll discuss this when we get to geologic time
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nonferromagnesian silicates
(light silicates) |
Rock-forming minerals which don't contain iron or magnesium, or both. The minerals are light in color and have a relatively light specific gravity (compared to minerals containing iron and magnesium).
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luster
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The appearance or quality of light reflectance from the surface of a mineral. Minerals that look like metals have a metallic luster, for example.
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mineral
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A naturally occurring inorganic solid with an orderly internal structure and a definite chemical composition. Minerals must be solid, natural substances.
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mineralogy
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The study of minerals, which are the building blocks of rocks.
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Mohs scale
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A number scale of hardness for minerals used for comparison to minerals not on the scale. The scale goes from 1 to 10. These are indicators of relative hardness. A mineral of hardness "5" is not "half as hard" as a mineral rated 10 on the scale.
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nucleus
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The central part of an atom, containing protons and neutrons. Protons have a positive electrical charge. Neutrons have no electrical charge.
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polymorphs
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Two minerals with totally different properties but exactly the same chemical composition. Diamond and graphite are polymorphs.
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OMIT - we'll discuss this when we get to impact cratering (regular quartz vs coesite)
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rock
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A solid mass containing a mineral or minerals. A rock containing one mineral is a mono-minerallic rock. A rock containing two or more minerals is a poly-minerallic rock.
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silicate mineral
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A mineral containing silicon and oxygen which forms the framework of most rocks, especially igenous rocks.
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silicon-oxygen tetrahedron
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The fundamental building block of rock forming minerals. This structure contains four oxygen atoms which surround a single silicon atom. See Figure 3-10 on page 94 for a digaram.
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specific gravity
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A relative measure of the weight of a mineral when compared to the weight of an equal volume of water.
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streak
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The color of the powdered mineral. Softer minerals are easily powdered by rubbing them across an unglazed clay tile in the same way you use a pencil to write on paper.
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