Rocks & Minerals Study Guide PDF

2ND MASTERY STUDY GUIDE IN SCI 1 ROCKS & MINERALS Minerals- a homogenous solid and is naturally occurring substance with a chemical composition, a high ordered atomic structure and has a specific physical property Crystal solid- an example of a mineral; a substance with three-dimensional plane fa...

2ND MASTERY STUDY GUIDE IN SCI 1 ROCKS & MINERALS Minerals- a homogenous solid and is naturally occurring substance with a chemical composition, a high ordered atomic structure and has a specific physical property Crystal solid- an example of a mineral; a substance with three-dimensional plane faces. Properties of a mineral: 1. Color- least reliable property for identifying minerals 2. Streak- color of a mineral in powdered form *2 mineral samples most difficult to distinguish from each other based on their color, luster, and streak: halite and quartz 3. Hardness- resistance to scratching *Mohs Hardness Scale- The minerals are listed from hardest to softest with their hardness scale number as follows: *Gypsum- a mineral that can be scratched by a copper penny *Talc- is a white color mineral and the softest mineral that a fingernail can scratch it. 4. Cleavage/fracture- property of a mineral breaking in a more or less random pattern with no smooth planar surfaces; illustrated by the peeling of muscovite mica into thin, flat sheets. Examples: Galena and halite- minerals with fracture property *Quartz- a transparent gemstone; has a conchoidal fracture, and is relatively brittle.  5. Crystalline structure- geometric shape of mineral crystals 6. Transparency/diaphaneity- the degree to which light is transmitted through a mineral 7. Magnetism- most apparent to iron 8. Tenacity- resistance to breaking Example: Mica- tenacity level is flexible because Mica is a mineral that can be bent without returning to its original form 9. Luster- describes how a mineral's surface reflects light and how the interior of the mineral may refract or bend light. 10. Odor 11. Specific gravity/Density- weight/heaviness of a mineral; determines how heavy the mineral is by comparing its weight to that of water Ex. Silver ore’s specific gravity is 10.49. * best tools to measure the density of a small piece of silver ore: graduated cylinder and balance ROCKS- aggregation of minerals and another rock fragments. a. Igneous- forms from cooling/solidification of molten rocks- lava/magma *lava- beneath the earth’s surface *magma- on the earth’s surface b. Sedimentary- formed from the remains of once-living organisms, such as shells or plant material Example: fossils c. Metamorphic- rocks formed by heat and pressure *METAMORPHISM- process of changing the materials that make up a rock ROCK CYCLE:  ENDOGENIC PROCESSES- those that occur or are created under the Earth's surface; processes driven by the earth’s heat and gravity. EXOGENIC PROCESSES- geological phenomena and processes that originate externally to the Earth's surface. *FAULTING- the displacement of rock upward or downward from their original position along such a fracture *SOLIFLUCTION- process of slow downslope flowing of soil mass or fine-grained rock debris saturated or lubricated with water; very slow to extremely slow movement of earth material along a slope *WEATHERING- the physical disintegration and chemical decomposition of Earth materials at the surface of the earth *PHYSICAL WEATHERING- It is the breakdown of rocks by mechanical forces concentrated along rock fractures. *CHEMICAL WEATHERING- process by which rocks break down through chemical reactions. *MUDFLOW- the absence of vegetation and cover and with heavy rainfall, thick layers of weathered materials get saturated with water and either slow or rapidly flow down along definite channels; This happens when combined soil and water flow downslope. *MASS WASTING- a slow downslope movement of loosely consolidated materials of rocks and soil layers. *DEBRIS FLOW- a large amount of sediments, usually rock of various sizes, fall downslope *EROSION- process by which earth’s surface is worn away by wind, water, or ice. *DEPOSITION- the laying down of broken rocks carried by wind, water, or ice. *DENUDATION- means to strip off or uncover *MERCALLI SCALE- scale that represents the intensity of earthquake by analyzing the aftereffects like how many people felt it *RICHTER SCALE- scale that represents the magnitude of the earthquake. *ROCKSLIDE- nothing but the slide of individual rock masses. *SLUMP- It is the movement of earth materials on a downslope terrain due to gravity. *CALDERA- very large composite volcano collapsed after an explosive period/ *SHIELD VOLCANO - A shield volcano forms horizontal sheet of lava or low dome shaped volcano with a broad base; liquid lava emitted from a central vent; large; sometimes has a collapse caldera *EARTHQUAKE- the weak or violent shaking of the earth’s surface caused by the sudden movement of rock materials beneath it. *SEISMOGRAM- apparatus/instrument that measures and records ground shakings. *EPICENTER- the place in the surface of the earth right above the focus of an earthquake. *FOCUS- the place in an earthquake where the energy is released like an explosion. The source of the energy.