Minerals

Front 1

Mineral

Back 1

A naturally formed inorganic solid that has a definite crystalline structure - rocks are made of minerals but minerals are not made of rocks.

Front 2

Element

Back 2

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

examples: carbon, oxygen, hydrogen (each element is made up of one type of atom, the smallest part of an element, that has all the properties of that element)

Front 3

Compound

Back 3

A substance made up of atoms of two or more different elements joined by chemical bonds.

examples: H2O (water), NaCl (salt)

Front 4

Crystal

Back 4

a solid whose atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a definite pattern

(all minerals have a definite, crystalline structure)

Front 5

The two groups of minerals

Back 5

silicate minerals and non-silicate minerals

Front 6

Silicate minerals

Back 6

Minerals that contain a combination of silicon, oxygen, and one or more minerals.

Silicon and oxygen are the two most common elements on Earth's crust.

examples: quartz, feldspar, mica

Front 7

Non-silicate minerals

Back 7

Minerals that do not contain compounds of silicon and oxygen.

The classes on non-silicates are: native elements (one element), carbonates, Halides, oxides, sulfates and sulfides.

Front 8

Surface mining

Back 8

When materials are located at or near the surface of the Earth we use surface mining techniques.

Surface mining techniques are open pit, surface coal mines and quarries

Front 9

Subsurface mining

Back 9

Used when material deposits are too deep within the Earth and mine shafts have to be dug.

Front 10

Responsible mining

Back 10

Because mining creates many ecological hazards and can lead to long term pollution issues and loss of wildlife habitats, we have to use responsible mining.

Responsible mining includes mine reclamation and recycling

Front 11

Mine reclamation

Back 11

The process of returning land to its original condition after mining is complete

Front 12

Mineral uses

Back 12

Metallic minerals are used for: conduction heat or electricity, aircraft, automobiles, bikes, computers, etc.

non-metallic minerals are used for: calcite in concrete, silica for computer chips and glass making

gemstones are valued for their beauty and rarity and vanity

Front 13

Properties of minerals

Back 13

Color, luster, streak, cleavage, fracture, hardness, density and special properities

Front 14

Color

Back 14

The color of a mineral

Front 15

Luster

Back 15

The way a mineral reflects light

Front 16

Streak

Back 16

The color of the powder of a mineral

Front 17

Cleavage

Back 17

The splitting of minerals along smooth, flat surfaces

Front 18

Fracture

Back 18

The manner in which a mineral breaks along either curved or irregular surfaces

Front 19

Hardness

Back 19

A measure of the ability of a mineral to resit scratching

Front 20

Moh's Hardness Scale

Back 20

Used to determine hardness of a mineral

It rates minerals on a scale of 1 to 10 softest to hardest

1. talc, 2. gypsum, 3. calcite, 4. fluorite, 5. apatite. 6. microcline, 7. quartz, 8. topaz, 9. corundum
10. diamond

Front 21

Density

Back 21

The ratio of the mass of a substance to the volume of the substance (how much matter is in a given amount of space)

D= m/v

Front 22

Special properties

Back 22

Flourescence, chemical reaction, optical properties, magnetism, taste and radioactivity

Front 23

Formation of minerals

Back 23

minerals form in a variety of environments

Front 24

Evaporating salt water

Back 24

Salt water dries up and minerals such as halite and gypsum crystalize

Front 25

Metamorphic rock

Back 25

Changes in pressure, temperature or chemical make up alter rock, causing metamorphism to take place.

minerals that form this way: calcite, garnet, graphite, hematite, mica, magnetite, talc

Front 26

Limestone

Back 26

Minerals carried by surface water or groundwater to lakes and seas crystalize on the sea floor or bottom of the lake.

examples: calcite and dolomite

Front 27

Hot water solutions

Back 27

Groundwater seeps into the ground and is heated by magma, forming a hot water solution that reacts with minerals

Gold, copper, sulfur, pyrite, and galina crystalize out of these solutions.

Front 28

Pegmatites

Back 28

magma moves up to the earth's surface and forms teardrop shaped bodies that are called pegmatites, these often form off of the top of plutons

Minerals formed here are topaz and tourmaline

Front 29

Plutons

Back 29

Magma moving up to the surface stops and forms a pluton

Minerals that form this way are mica, feldspar,magnetite and quartz

Front 30

Mining

Back 30

Many minerals and rocks must be mined to extract the ore to be used for profit

Two methods for mining are surface mining and subsurface mining

Front 31

ore

Back 31

A natural material whose concentration of economically valuable minerals is high enough for the material to be mined profitably