Questions and Answers
To be a mineral, a substance must be?
naturally occurring, a solid, inorganic, and have a definite chemical composition
What are the two main classes of minerals?
Silicate and Non silicate
What is an example of silicate?
Quartz
What is an example of a Non silicate?
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Silicates have what?
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Quartz and feldspar are....
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Non Silicates don't contain?
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What makes up 50% of the crust?
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What are some facts about Silicon?
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Ionic is when?
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What is a single chain?
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What is a double chain?
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What is a sheet?
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What is network?
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What are the types of non silicates?
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What are Oxides made up of?
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What are sulfides made up of?
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What are Halides made up of?
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What are sulfates made up of?
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What are carbonates made up of?
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What does an 'ate' ending mean?
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What are Native elements made up of?
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What are the mineral properties?
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Easy to test BUT the same mineral can have different.....?
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Different minerals can be the same color
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Defined as the color of the powdered form of the mineral
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What are some more mineral properties?
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Breaks in straight lines?
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DOES NOT break into straight lines?
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Resistance to scratching; compare to minerals on MOH's hardness scale.
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How heavy it is for its size?
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Sparks when hit?
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Even more mineral properties....
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Attracts a magnet?
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Glows under ultraviolet light?
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The crystal splits light to see a double image?
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Atoms in the mineral break down releasing radiation.
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Can you taste test rocks?
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What are the two main groups of minerals?
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Which two elements are most commonly found in minerals?
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Are carbonates and halides silicate or non silicate minerals?
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Study Notes
Definition of Minerals
- Minerals must be naturally occurring, solid, inorganic, and have a definite chemical composition.
Main Classes of Minerals
- Two primary classes are Silicate and Non-silicate.
Examples of Minerals
- Silicate example: Quartz
- Non-silicate example: Halite
Composition of Silicates
- Silicates are composed of Silicon and Oxygen.
Common Minerals
- Quartz and feldspar are the most common minerals found in the Earth's crust.
Characteristics of Non-silicates
- Non-silicates do not contain Silicon.
Crust Composition
- Quartz and feldspar make up approximately 50% of the Earth’s crust.
Silicon Facts
- Silicon combines with oxygen to form a tetrahedron structure, consisting of one silicon atom surrounded by four oxygen atoms.
Mineral Structures
- Ionic bonding occurs when tetrahedrons are not touching.
- Single chains of tetrahedra connect in a line.
- Double chains form when two single chains link together.
- Sheets are formed when chains connect to create flat layers.
- Networks have tetrahedra connected in all directions.
Types of Non-silicates
- Non-silicates include Oxides, Sulfates, Sulfides, Halides, Carbonates, and Native elements.
Non-silicate Composition
- Oxides: Metal + Oxygen
- Sulfides: Metal + Sulfur
- Halides: Metal + Halogen (Salts)
- Sulfates: Metal + Sulfur + Oxygen
- Carbonates: Metal + Carbon + Oxygen
- Native elements consist of a single type of atom.
Mineral Properties
- Key properties include Color, Streak, Crystal Shape, Cleavage, Fracture, Hardness, and Density.
- Color can vary significantly among different minerals.
- Streak is the color of a mineral in powdered form.
More on Mineral Properties
- Cleavage refers to breaking in straight lines.
- Fracture describes irregular breaking patterns, such as conchoidal fracture in quartz.
- Hardness measures resistance to scratching on the Mohs hardness scale.
- Density indicates how heavy a mineral is for its size.
Additional Properties
- Some minerals exhibit piezoelectricity, generating sparks when struck.
- Magnetism refers to minerals that attract magnets.
- Fluorescence occurs when minerals glow under ultraviolet light.
- Double Refraction is the splitting of light that produces a double image.
- Radioactivity involves the breakdown of atoms releasing radiation.
Unique Testing
- Taste testing can identify certain rocks.
Common Elements in Minerals
- The two most commonly found elements in minerals are Oxygen and Silicon.
Non-silicate Mineral Classification
- Non-silicate minerals, which constitute about 4% of the Earth’s crust, are divided into six major groups based on their chemical composition.
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Description
This quiz explores the definition and classes of minerals, focusing on silicates and non-silicates. It covers examples, composition, and the overall structure of common minerals found in the Earth's crust. Test your knowledge about these essential geological components and their characteristics!
