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Definition
| the study of the earth's origin, history, and structure |
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Definition
| an inorganic solid that has a definate chemical formula and crystal shape |
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Definition
| something that was never alive and never will be |
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| Hot molten rock located deep inside the earth. |
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Definition
| Hot molten rock that has exited the interior of the earth and is now on the surface on the earth. |
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Definition
| the purest know substance that is made from only one kind of atom. |
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Definition
| the easiest property to observe, but not necessarily the best one to identify minerals from. |
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Definition
| the way light reflects off the surface of a mineral |
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Definition
| looks like a metal; shiny to dull |
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Definition
| glassy, pearly, earthy, transparent, greasy etc. |
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Definition
the ability of a mineral to resist being scratched.
Ranges from 1 (soft) to 10 (hard). |
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Definition
the mineralogist that developed the hardness
scale in the early 1800’s. |
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Definition
the color of the powder left by a mineral when rubbed
against a hard rough surface. |
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Definition
the amount of mass that is packed into a specific
amount of volume. Mass per unit of volume. |
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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. |
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Definition
| how a mineral would break apart into pieces |
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Definition
| breakage along a flat surface or plane |
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Definition
breakage that leaves an uneven, curved, or
splintery surface |
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Definition
minerals in which usable amounts of metals or nonmetals
can be removed |
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Definition
| minerals that are rare, beautiful and durable. |
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Term
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Definition
| the process of heating a metal ore for the purpose of extracting or removing the metals |
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