Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
30 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
Mohs Hardness Scale
|
any mineral with a greater hardness than another mineral will scratch a softer mineral
|
|
|
Gem
|
valuable minerals that are prized for their rariety and beauty
|
|
|
Fracture
|
minerals that break with rough or jagged edges
uneven conchoidal hackly splintery |
|
|
Cleavage
|
minerals break along planes where atomic bonds are weak; formed by number of cleaved planes
perfect distinct indistinct absent |
|
|
Transparency
|
a function of the way light interacts with the surface of a substance.
transparent transluscent opaque |
|
|
Streak
|
color the mineral is when broken down to powder; rarely changes even if the color of the mineral changes; one of the main tests used to distinguish between minerals; does not alwalys match with color
|
|
|
Color
|
Color is the first thing someone notices when they view a mineral. Color is also one of the big reasons that attract people to minerals. Generally speaking, color is not a good property to be used in the identification of minerals. It is usually the first property to confuse a novice collector into makingone of the most noticible characteristics of a mineral; sometimes caused by trace elements; one of the least reliable clues to the minerals identity
|
|
|
Specific Gravity
|
reflects atomic weight and structure of a mineral; ratio of the weight of a substance to the weight of an euql volume of water at 4 Celcuis
light average heavy very heavy |
|
|
Luster
|
the way a mineral reflects light from a surface
Adamantine - very gemmy crystals Dull - just a non-reflective surface of any kind Earthy - the look of dirt or dried mud Fibrous - the look of fibers Greasy - the look of grease Gumdrop - the look a sucked on hard candy Metallic - the look of metals Pearly - the look of a pearl Pitchy - the look of tar Resinous - the look of resins such as dried glue or chewing gum Silky - the look of silk, similar to fibrous but more compact Submetallic - a poor metallic luster, opaque but reflecting little light Vitreous - the most common luster, it simply means the look of glass Waxy - the look of wax |
|
|
Hardness
|
the measure of how easily a mineral can be scratched; measured with the mohs hardness scale
1 - Talc 2 - Gypsum 3 - Calcite 4 - Fluorite 5 - Apatite 6 - Orthoclase 7 - Quartz 8 - Topaz 9 - Corundum 10 - Diamond |
|
|
Ore
|
a mineral that conatains a substance that can be mined for profit
|
|
|
Mineral Characteristics/ Mineral Identification
|
criteria defining if a substance is a mineral
|
|
|
Crystal Structure
|
geometic repeating structure of the crystals in a mineral
monoclinic cubic tetragonal orthorhombic triclinic trigonal hexagonal |
|
|
Mineral Groups
|
Sulfides Class: The Sulfides, the Selenides, the Tellurides, the Arsenides, the Antimonides, the Bismuthinides and the Sulfosalts.
Halides Class: The Fluorides, the Chlorides and the Iodides. Oxides Class: The Oxides and the Hydroxides. Carbonates Class: The Carbonates, the Nitrates and the Borates. Sulfates Class: The Sulfates, the Sulfites, the Chromates, the Molybdates, the Selenates, the Selenites, the Tellurates, the Tellurites and the Tungstates (or the Wolframates). Phosphates Class: The Phosphates, the Arsenates, the Vanadates and the Antimonates. Silicates Class: The Silicates (the largest class). The Organics Class: The "Minerals" composed of organic chemicals! The Mineraloids: The "Minerals" that lack crystal structure! |
|
|
Texture
|
describes how a mineral feels to the touch
smooth greasy rough ragged soappy glassy |
|
|
solid with a specific composition
|
made with certain elements
|
|
|
natural occuring
|
cannot be manmade
|
|
|
inorganic
|
never lived
does not live never will live |
|
|
Mineral Formation
|
Minerals from Magma
Minerals from Solutions Minerals from elements |
|
|
d
|
d
|
|
|
d
|
d
|
|
|
d
|
d
|
|
|
d
|
d
|
|
|
d
|
d
|
|
|
d
|
d
|
|
|
d
|
d
|
|
|
d
|
d
|
|
|
d
|
d
|
|
|
d
|
d
|
|
|
d
|
d
|
