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Details Title: Mineral Vocabulary Description: Chapter 6 Section 1 Total Flash Cards: 33 Created: 01/11/2005 13:29:11	To study from this set of flash cards, or to create your own your own study flash cards, register HERE. If you are already a registered user, CLICK HERE.
Cards Term geology Definition the study of the earth’s origin (beginnings), its history, and structure Term mineral Definition a naturally occurring, inorganic, solid that has a definite chemical formula and crystal shape Term inorganic Definition something that was never “alive” and never will be Term crystal Definition a solid that has a definite pattern of atoms that is repeated over and over again; has flat “faces” of sides that meet in sharp edges Term magma Definition hot molten rock located deep inside the earth Term geode Definition a rock that is hollow in the center and has crystals lining the interior of the rock; is formed by evaporation of liquids that leave behind crystal minerals. Term lava Definition hot molten rock that has exited the interior of the earth and is now on the surface on the earth Term element Definition the purest know substance that is made from only one kind of atom Term color Definition the easiest property to observe, but not necessarily the best one to identify minerals from Term luster Definition the way light reflects off the surface of a mineral Term metallic luster Definition looks like a metal; shiny to dull Term nonmetallic luster Definition glassy, pearly, earthy, transparent, greasy etc. Term hardness Definition the ability of a mineral to resist being scratched ranges from 1 (soft) to 10 (hard) Term Friedrich Mohs Definition the mineralogist that developed the hardness scale in the early 1800’s Term streak Definition the color of the powder left by a mineral when rubbed against a hard rough surface Term density Definition the amount of mass that is packed into a specific amount of volume; Mass per unit of volume Term specific gravity Definition the density of a mineral compared to the density of water; in other words, it tells us how many times heavier a certain volume of a mineral is than the same volume of water Term hefting Definition A process by which you hold a mineral or rock in each hand that is of the same approximate volume and determining which one has the most mass. A way of estimating the density of a mineral or rock without taking precise measurements. Term cubic, hexagonal, orthorhombic, monoclinic, tetragonal, triclinic Definition 6 basic Crystal shapes Term breakage Definition how a mineral would break apart into pieces Term cleavage Definition breakage along a flat surface or plane Term fracture Definition breakage that leaves an uneven, curved, or splintery surface Term ore Definition minerals in which usable amounts of metals or nonmetals can be removed Term metallic ore Definition minerals that can be removed that are shiny, and able to conduct heat and or electricity Term malleability Definition property of a metal that has the ability to be hammered into thin sheets without breaking Term ductility Definition property of a metal that allows a metal to be pulled into thin strands without breaking Term nonmetallic ore Definition minerals that can be removed from an ore that not shiny, not malleable or ductile, and are poor conductors of energy (heat and electricity) Term gems Definition minerals that are rare, beautiful and durable Term precious gems Definition minerals that are the rarest and most valuable Term semiprecious gems Definition less rare and less valuable than preciousa gems Term smelting Definition process of heating a metal ore for the purpose of extracting or removing the metals (ore processing) Term mining Definition process of extracting useful metals from Earth (ore processing) Term refining Definition purified (ore processing)