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Questions and Answers
What is the primary chemical composition of silicate minerals?
What is the primary chemical composition of silicate minerals?
What is the basic building block of all silicate minerals?
What is the basic building block of all silicate minerals?
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of minerals?
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of minerals?
What is the primary factor that determines the type of silicate minerals formed from cooling magma?
What is the primary factor that determines the type of silicate minerals formed from cooling magma?
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Which of the following is NOT a common silicate mineral?
Which of the following is NOT a common silicate mineral?
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What is the basic structural unit of sorosilicates?
What is the basic structural unit of sorosilicates?
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Which type of silicate includes minerals with flat and soft sheet-like structures?
Which type of silicate includes minerals with flat and soft sheet-like structures?
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What gives nesosilicates a higher density, hardness, and index of refraction compared to other silicates?
What gives nesosilicates a higher density, hardness, and index of refraction compared to other silicates?
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In which type of silicate do two single chains sit side by side?
In which type of silicate do two single chains sit side by side?
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Which type of silicate forms three-dimensional structures extending outward in all directions?
Which type of silicate forms three-dimensional structures extending outward in all directions?
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Which of the following statements about micas is true?
Which of the following statements about micas is true?
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Which mineral group is typically found in metamorphic and igneous rocks formed at plate boundaries with high heat and pressure?
Which mineral group is typically found in metamorphic and igneous rocks formed at plate boundaries with high heat and pressure?
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What is a characteristic of olivine?
What is a characteristic of olivine?
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Which mineral is typically dark in color and composed of silicates combined with metals like magnesium, iron, calcium, or sodium?
Which mineral is typically dark in color and composed of silicates combined with metals like magnesium, iron, calcium, or sodium?
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In what type of rock would you expect to find the mineral peridot, which is a variety of olivine?
In what type of rock would you expect to find the mineral peridot, which is a variety of olivine?
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Study Notes
Silicate Minerals
- Silicate minerals make up about 90% of Earth's crust, composed of oxygen (47%) and silicon (30%) combined.
- Silicate minerals are the largest class of rock-forming minerals.
- Examples of silicate minerals include quartz, feldspar, mica, and pyroxene.
Formation of Silicate Minerals
- Crystals form when molten magma cools, either within Earth's crust or as lava above Earth's crust.
- The size and type of minerals formed depend on the ingredients in the magma and the rate at which the magma cools.
- Magma with low amounts of silica produces darker colored minerals, while magma rich in silica produces lighter minerals.
Structure of Silicate Minerals
- Silica tetrahedron is the basic building block of all silicate minerals, composed of one silicon atom and four oxygen atoms in a tetrahedral arrangement.
- Silica tetrahedrons combine in different arrangements, such as chains and sheets, to form different silicate minerals.
Types of Silicates
- Nesosilicates (orthosilicates) are the simplest silicates, with silica tetrahedrons forming the base of the silicate minerals.
- Examples of nesosilicates include forsterite and tephroite.
- Sorosilicates are formed when two tetrahedrons are linked together by one oxygen atom.
- Cyclosilicates form chains that bend to form rings, with high hardness, luster, and durability.
- Inosilicates are long single and double chain silicates, with single and double chain structures.
- Phyllosilicates are formed when rings of tetrahedrons are linked by oxygens to other rings of tetrahedrons in a flat sheet-like structure.
- Tectosilicates (framework silicates) have a complex structure with tetrahedrons interconnected and extending outward in all directions.
Examples of Silicates
- Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's crust, made of oxygen and silicon, and formed when magma cools slowly.
- Feldspar is the most common mineral in Earth's crust, containing alumina and silica.
- Mica minerals are known as sheet silicates, with a two-dimensional sheet structure and perfect basal cleavage.
- Amphiboles are minerals that occur in many different rock types, with high silica content, and are usually dark in color and composed of silicates combined with metals.
- Olivine is a mineral found in dark igneous rocks, with high crystalline temperature, and is one of the first minerals to crystallize from Earth's heat.
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Description
Explore the world of silicate minerals and their importance in Earth's crust. Learn about the composition and characteristics of these abundant minerals that form a significant portion of the planet's surface.
