Questions and Answers
What is a mineral?
What are the characteristics of minerals?
Naturally occurring, solid, inorganic, homogenous crystalline structure, definite chemical composition.
What is a crystal?
A regular geometric solid with smooth surfaces.
How are minerals identified?
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How are minerals classified?
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Color is a good characteristic to use when identifying minerals.
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What is meant by a mineral's hardness?
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How do we test a mineral for hardness?
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What is the hardest mineral on Moh's hardness scale?
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What is the softest mineral on Moh's hardness scale?
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What is the hardness of glass on Moh's hardness scale?
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What is the hardness of Quartz on Moh's hardness scale?
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What is density?
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The 'specific gravity' of a mineral describes what property?
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How do you compare the densities of two minerals?
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What is a mineral's streak?
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What is specific gravity?
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What is cleavage in minerals?
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What is basal cleavage?
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What is cubic cleavage?
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What is rhombohedral cleavage?
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What is fracture in minerals?
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What is chonchoidal fracture?
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What are organized breaks in mineral samples called?
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What are random breaks in a mineral sample called?
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What is radioactivity in minerals?
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What is refraction?
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What is magnetism in minerals?
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What is luminescence in minerals?
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What does the hydrochloric acid test measure?
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What are the two most common elements found in Earth's crust?
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What are the two most common minerals found in Earth's crust?
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What is the largest chemical group of minerals?
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What chemical group contains minerals made of a single element?
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What is a polymorph?
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What is an isomorph?
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What is mineral assemblage?
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Can a rock exist of no minerals?
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Can a rock exist of only one mineral?
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Can a mineral exist of only one element?
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What determines the physical characteristics of minerals?
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Study Notes
Minerals Overview
- Minerals are solid inorganic substances found naturally in the environment.
- Key characteristics: naturally occurring, solid, inorganic, homogeneous crystalline structure, and definite chemical composition.
Crystal Structure
- Crystals are regular geometric solids with smooth surfaces.
Mineral Identification
- Minerals are identified based on their physical properties, such as hardness, luster, and streak.
- Color is not a reliable characteristic due to environmental variations affecting mineral color.
Hardness
- Hardness refers to a mineral’s resistance to scratching.
- The Mohs hardness scale ranks minerals from softest (talc) to hardest (diamond).
- Glass has a hardness of 5.5, and quartz has a hardness of 7.0.
Density and Specific Gravity
- Density is defined as mass per unit volume.
- Specific gravity measures a mineral's density relative to an equal volume of water.
- Densities can be compared through the "hefting" method.
Streak and Cleavage
- Streak is the color of the powder left by a mineral when scratched against a streak plate.
- Cleavage describes a mineral's tendency to break along flat planes.
- Types of cleavage include:
- Basal: one flat surface
- Cubic: three surfaces at right angles
- Rhombohedral: three planes not at right angles.
Fracture
- Fracture describes the manner in which a mineral breaks, often with rounded surfaces.
- Types of fracture include:
- Chonchoidal: breaks in curves.
- Random breaks denote a general fracture without a defined pattern.
Other Properties
- Radioactivity is the release of electron energy by certain minerals.
- Refraction is the ability to bend light to create a magnified image.
- Magnetism indicates a mineral's attraction to magnets or ferrous materials.
- Luminescence is the capability to absorb light and glow in the dark.
Chemical Tests
- The Hydrochloric Acid Test assesses the reaction of rocks containing calcium carbonate (like calcite) to acids.
Earth's Crust Composition
- The two most abundant elements in Earth's crust are silicon and oxygen.
- The most common minerals in Earth's crust are quartz and feldspar.
- Silicates constitute the largest mineral group, making up 95% of the Earth's crust.
Mineral Groups
- Native Elements are composed of minerals made of a single element.
- Polymorphs are minerals that share the same chemical composition but have different crystalline structures.
- Isomorphs have differing chemical compositions but exhibit the same crystalline structure.
Rock Composition
- "Mineral assemblage" refers to the ratio of minerals in a rock.
- Rocks can exist without minerals (e.g., coal) or be composed of only one mineral (e.g., limestone = calcium carbonate).
- Minerals can also be exclusively made of one element (e.g., copper, sulfur, diamond).
Physical Characteristics
- The physical traits of minerals are determined by their atomic structure and the arrangement of their atoms.
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Description
Explore the fascinating world of minerals in this quiz. Learn about their characteristics, crystal structures, and methods for identification including hardness and density. Challenge your knowledge of mineral properties and testing techniques.