Minerals: Fracture and Specific Gravity

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Questions and Answers

What are halides?

Organic materials found in the Earth's crust

Minerals made entirely of metals

Minerals containing halogen elements combined with one or more elements (correct)

Rocks formed from cooling magma

How are rocks primarily classified?

By the amount of minerals they contain

By their geological age

By their color and size

By how they are formed, their composition, and texture (correct)

What initiates the formation of magma?

Heating of rock, release of pressure, or compositional changes (correct)

The cooling of existing rocks

The transformation of minerals into sediments

High levels of oxygen in the atmosphere

Which type of igneous rock is formed beneath the Earth's surface?

Intrusive igneous rocks Signup and view all the answers

What occurs during the rock cycle?

Rocks change through various geological processes over time Signup and view all the answers

What term is used to describe minerals that do not break along cleavage planes but exhibit an irregular pattern?

Fracture Signup and view all the answers

Which mineral is known for being strongly magnetic?

Magnetite Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements regarding specific gravity is correct?

It is the weight of a mineral compared to the weight of an equal volume of water. Signup and view all the answers

Which mineral group contains minerals with the carbonate anion (CO3)?

Carbonates Signup and view all the answers

Which group of minerals would include sulfur as a dominant component?

Sulfides Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following minerals is classified as a native element?

Diamond Signup and view all the answers

What do silicates primarily contain, making them the most abundant minerals in the Earth's crust?

Silicon and Oxygen Signup and view all the answers

Which type of minerals would be classified as nonmetals?

Sulfur Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic is NOT required for a substance to be classified as a mineral?

It must have a specific color Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a correct classification of rocks?

Metamorphic, sedimentary, and igneous Signup and view all the answers

What does the rock cycle describe?

How rocks transform from one type to another over time Signup and view all the answers

Which type of rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma?

Igneous Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a mineral group based on its composition?

Olivine Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic differentiates minerals from organic materials?

Minerals are inorganic and not a byproduct of living organisms Signup and view all the answers

What defines a sedimentary rock?

Composed of fragments or precipitation of minerals Signup and view all the answers

Which mineral property can be identified through a specific chemical formula?

Chemical composition Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Properties of Minerals

Fracture occurs when minerals break irregularly, without defined cleavage planes.
Specific gravity indicates a mineral's weight relative to an equal volume of water; native metals typically exhibit high specific gravity.
Examples of mineral properties:
- Magnetite is strongly magnetic.
- Sulfur has a distinctive odor.
- Halite tastes salty.
- Fluorite can disperse ultraviolet light into visible light.
- Calcite reacts with acid, similar to dolomite but less effective in powdered form.

Mineral Groups

Silicates: Composed of silicon and oxygen; make up over 90% of rock-forming minerals.
- Most common elements in the Earth's crust include Silicon (46.6%), Oxygen (27.7%), Aluminum (8.1%), Iron (5.0%), Calcium (3.6%), Magnesium (3.1%), Sodium (2.8%), and Potassium (2.6%).
Oxides: Minerals with oxygen anion combined with metal ions.
Sulfates: Contains sulfur and oxygen anion (SO4) with other ions.
Sulfides: Composed of sulfur anion (S2) with metal ions; some are sources of economically valuable metals like copper, lead, and zinc.
Carbonates: Contain the carbonate anion (CO3) with other elements.
Native Elements: Form as distinct, individual elements; include metals and semi-metals.
- Metals (e.g., gold, lead) have high thermal and electrical conductivity.
- Semi-metals (e.g., arsenic, bismuth) are more fragile and less conductive.
- Nonmetals (e.g., sulfur, diamond) are not conductive.
Halides: Minerals composed of halogen elements combined with other elements.

Rocks

Rocks are naturally formed combinations of organic and inorganic materials that consist of one or more minerals.
Classification depends on formation, composition, and texture.
Rocks undergo continuous changes through the rock cycle.

Igneous Rocks

Formed from the cooling of magma or lava.
Magma formation occurs through:
- Heating of existing rock.
- Release of pressure.
- Changes in rock composition.
Magma freezes at temperatures between 700 °C and 1,250 °C.
Two types of igneous rocks:
- Intrusive Igneous Rocks: Formed beneath the Earth's surface (e.g., gabbro, granite).
- Extrusive Igneous Rocks: Formed on the surface (lava).

Characteristics of Minerals

Minerals must be naturally occurring, inorganic, solid with an orderly crystalline structure, and have a definable chemical composition.
Water is excluded as a mineral since it is not solid.
Pearls, though naturally occurring and crystalline, are organic and thus not categorized as minerals.

Objectives of Study

Identify physical and chemical properties of minerals.
Understand the relationship between rock types and their formation processes.
Illustrate the rock cycle.
Recognize the significance of minerals in society.

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Description

This quiz explores key concepts related to minerals, focusing on how they break, specifically through fractures rather than cleavage. Additionally, it covers the concept of specific gravity in minerals, comparing their weight to water. Test your knowledge of mineral properties and characteristics!