Term
|
Definition
| The ratio of the mass of a substance to the volume of the substance; commonly expressed as grams per cubic centimeter for solids and liquids and as grams per liter for gases |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The process in which minerals precipitate into pore spaces between sediment grains and bind sediments together to form rock |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The formation of crystals during the cooling process of melted minerals. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Weathering is the natural process by which wind, rain, and temperature changes disintegrate and decompose rocks. Erosion is the process by which the materials of Earth's surface are loosened, dissolved, or worn away and transported from one place to another by wind, water, ice or gravity. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| In geology, the tendency of a mineral to split along specific planes of weakness to form smooth, flat surfaces. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The measure of the ability of a mineral to resist scratching. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The way in which a mineral reflects light. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The color of a mineral in powdered form. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A substance made up of atoms of two or more different elements joined by chemical bonds. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A combination of two or more substances that are not chemically combined. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A group of atoms that are held together by chemical forces; a molecule is the smallest unit of matter that can exist by itself and retain all of a substance's chemical properties. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A substance that cannot be separated or broken down into simpler substances by chemical menas; all atoms of an element have the same atomic number. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Rock that is formed from hardened sediments. Sediments can harden into Sedimentary Rock a) from the pressure of its own weight, or b) by cementation. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The process by which transported sediment is dropped in new places by agents of erosion. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Rock that forms when magma cools and solidifies. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The type of rock that results when other types of rocks are changed by heat and pressure. These changed rocks are typically harder, denser, and look different than they did originally. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The process in which one type of rock changes into metamorphic rock becuase of chemical processes or changes in temperature and pressure. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A change in the texture, structure, or chemical composition of a rock due to contact with magma |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The number of protons in a nucleus; all atoms of any given elements have the same atomic number; because an uncharged atom has the same number of protons and electrons, typically the number of electrons is the same as the atomic number. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The sum of the number of protons and neutrons in an atom; expressed in atomic mass units (amu) where a proton and a neutron both have a mass of 1 amu; electrons (1/1840 amu) are ignored when determining atomic mass. |
|
|
