Earth Science Chapter 3

Front 1

What is a mineral?

Back 1

a substance that must have these 5 characteristics.
-naturally occurring
-inorganic
-solid
-Crystal Structure
-Definite Chemical Composition
** ALWAYS a SOLID - b/c of definite volume and shape

Front 2

How are minerals identified?

(8 properties)

Back 2

by the following characteristics.
1. color 6.streak
2. density 7. luster
3. hardness 8. by crystal systems
4. by cleavage and fracture
5. by other special properties

Front 3

naturally occuring

Back 3

not man made; must be made by natural process.

EX: Quartz

Front 4

inorganic

Back 4

minerals cannot form with something that was once living.

Ex: Coal is not a mineral b/c it is formed from remains of plants

Front 5

solid

Back 5

must have a definite volume and shape.

Front 6

chemical composition

Back 6

minerals always contain certain elements in definite proportions.

Front 7

crystal structure

Back 7

the particles of a mineral line up in a pattern that repeats over and over again.

the pattern = the crystal

Front 8

Color

Back 8

easily observed physical property.

Front 9

Streak

Back 9

the color of the minerals powder.
-the mineral has to be rubbed on a porcelain tile.

Front 10

Luster

Back 10

how light is reflected on a mineral
- metals are shiny
- some terms
-glassy, earthy, and waxy

Front 11

Density

Back 11

to find it you divide the mass by volume.

- Each mineral has unique density

Front 12

Hardness

Back 12

measure of how easily a mineral can be scratched.
- Use the Mohs scale

Front 13

Mohs hardness scale

Back 13

a scale of 1-10 describing how hard the mineral is and 10 is the hardest.

Front 14

Crystal Systems

Back 14

each mineral can be classified into one of six crystal systems based on the # of angles and faces

ex: halite crystals - cubic - 6 faces

Front 15

Cleavage

Back 15

a mineral splits easily and breaks along a flat smooth surface.

- breaks in sheets b/c its atoms are arranged in a way that allows this
- how a mineral breaks apart is used to distinguish the mineral and identify it

Front 16

fracture

Back 16

a mineral breaks in an irregular way.
- doesn't split apart evenly

ex - quartz breaks into shell shaped fracture

pure metals have a hackly fracture - they have jagged edges

Front 17

Special Propertis

Back 17

-magnetism
-fluorescence
-reactivity
-optical properties

Front 18

How do minerals form from magma and lava?

Back 18

when hot magma cools inside Earth, or as lava hardens on the Surface. When those liquids cool to a sold state they form crystals.

Front 19

Geode

Back 19

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

Front 20

Crystallization

Back 20

the process by which atoms are arangged to form a material with a crystal structure.

Front 21

Magma

Back 21

molten material from inside Earth that harden to form rock.

Front 22

Lava

Back 22

magma that reaches the surface.

Front 23

How do minerals form from water solution?

2 ways - how and where

Back 23

When elements and compounds that are dissolved in water leave a solution crystallization occurs.
2 ways
1) by evaporation - water leaves and crystallization forms on surface of Earth
2) from hot water solutions - minerals form when water cools and elements leave the solution and crystallize - beneath the surface of the Earth

Front 24

Solution

Back 24

a mixture in which one substance is dissolved in another.

Front 25

Minerals formed by Evaporation

Back 25

Minerals formed when liquid evaporates from the seas and oceans then it goes in the sky. The deposits that were i the solution form crystals after the liquid evaporates forming minerals.
EX: HALITE deposits formed when oceans dried up Millions of yrs ago (found in several parts of US)

Front 26

Vein

Back 26

a narrow channel or slab of mineral that is different from surrounding rock.

Front 27

Is Amber a mineral? Why or Why not?

Back 27

No - b/c it forms from resin of trees and minerals can't be originated from any organic (live)material

Front 28

What is the difference b/n fracture and cleavage?

Back 28

fracture is how a mineral looks when it breaks

cleavage is when a mineral splits uniformly in flat surfaces (like sheets being peeled off)

Front 29

How do geodes form?

Back 29

when water containing dissolved materails seeks into the cracks of of the halllow rock causeing crystallization.

Front 30

How do minerals occur?
- 2 ways

Back 30

1) by crystallization of molten material
2) by crystallization of materials dissolved in water

Front 31

What determines the size of the crystals when minerals form from magma?

Where do large minerals form? small ones?

Back 31

the rate at which the magma cools

1) cools slowly (deep inside earth)-> large crystals
2) cools fast (on surface)-> small crystals

Front 32

When do veins forme?

Back 32

when pure metals that crystallize from hot water soultions under ground

Front 33

How are minerals used?

Back 33

minerals are sources of gemstones, metals, aand a variety of materials.
-used as window glass of a car
-the metal body

Front 34

how are ores processed to obtain metals?

Back 34

because they are mined and have medal in them.

Front 35

Gemstones

Back 35

a hard colorfful mineral that has a brilliant or glassy luster.

-used as jewelry

Front 36

metals

Back 36

metals are minerals such as
-copper
-iron
- aluminum
- silver
- not as hard as gemstones

Front 37

Other useful minerals

Back 37

minerals used in food, medicine, fertilizers, and building materials.

Front 38

Ores

Back 38

a rock that contains metal or other useful minerals that can be mined.

Front 39

prospector

Back 39

someone who searches for an ore deposit.

Front 40

Smelting

Back 40

the process of processing the ore so that the metals can be used.

- ore is mixed with other substances, heated to high temperatures, and then melted to separate the useful metal from other element that ores contain.

Front 41

Alloy

what is it? EXamples

Back 41

a solid mixture of two or more elements one of which one is a metal. (must have characteristics of metal to be an alloy)

-done for specific reasons - to make more usable
steel - iron mixed with carbon (makes it harder and more usable)

to make rust resistant, they add chronium and nickel to steel

Front 42

Are most metals found in pure form?

Back 42

No - usually in conbination forms, the metal + some other compound.

Front 43

What property of metals makes metals useful to humans?

Back 43

that they can be molded into various things. They can be flattened they can be put into wires, etc

Front 44

What steps are needed to make an ore a useful product?

Back 44

1) smelting
2) alloys are made for specific purposes

Front 45

Why are alloys made? Examples..

Back 45

to improve the cahracteristics and be able to use for more things.

1) make it stronger - add carbon
2) make it rust proof -add chromium and nickel

Front 46

Why are Iron Ores smelted?
What are they mixed with?

Back 46

-Iron ores are smelted to seperate the useful metals with the nonuseful metals.
-they are smelted with coke-limestone-iron ore mixture.

Front 47

EXPLAIN the 3 types of mining?

- List, describe and say when each is used

Back 47

strip mines, open pit mines, and shaft mines.
strip mining- earth moving equipment scrapes away soil to expose ore.
open pit mining- use giant earth moving equipment to dig a big pit to remove ore deposits.
shaft mines- often have a network of tunnels that extend deep in the ground following the viens ore.

Front 48

What is the hardest mineral? The softest

Back 48

the hardest mineral is diamond and the softest is talc

Front 49

Are most minerals compounds or elements?

give an example of each

Back 49

Most minerals are compounds- two or more elements.

compounds: quartz
elements: silver, gold and copper