Vocab 2 Minerals

Minerals

Naturally occurring, inorganic solids with a crystalline structure and a specific chemical composition.

Crystalline structure

An orderly arrangement of atoms chemically bonded together.

Chemical composition

The specific elements and their ratios that make up a mineral, represented by a chemical formula.

Chemical bonds

The forces that hold atoms together in a mineral's structure.

Ionic bond

A weak bond where atoms gain or lose electrons to form ions; example: salt (halite).

Covalent bond

A strong bond where atoms share electrons; example: diamond.

Metallic bond

A bond where electrons move freely among atoms, allowing for electrical conductivity.

Mineral polymorphs

Minerals with the same chemical composition but different crystalline structures; examples: graphite and diamond.

Crystal habit

The characteristic shape in which a mineral grows, determined by its internal arrangement of atoms.

Color

A physical property of a mineral that results from how it absorbs and reflects light.

Allochromatist

Minerals that can have different colors based on impurities.

Anions

Negatively charged ions, used to classify minerals by their chemical formula.

Native elements

Minerals made of a single element, such as gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), and sulfur (S).

Carbonate group

Minerals containing the (CO3 2-) anion, such as calcite (CaCO3).

Halides group

Minerals containing chlorine (Cl1-) or fluorine (F1-) anions, also called salts; examples: halite (NaCl) and fluorite (CaF2).

Oxide group

Minerals containing the (O2-) anion, such as hematite (Fe2O3) and corundum (Al2O3).

Sulfides group

Minerals based on sulfur.

Sulfates group

Minerals based on sulfur.

Silicate group

Minerals that have silica tetrahedrons as their building blocks and comprise most of Earth’s crust.

Silica tetrahedron

A structure made of one silicon atom and four oxygen atoms.

Mafic silicates

Silicates rich in iron and magnesium, often dark in color, and found in the oceanic lithosphere; examples: olivine, pyroxene, amphibole.

Single tetrahedron silicates

Silicates made of individual silica tetrahedrons, such as Olivine.

Chain structure silicates

Silicates with chains of silica tetrahedrons.

Single chain

An example of chain structure silicates is Pyroxene.

Double chain

An example of chain structure silicates is Amphiboles.

Layer/sheet structure silicates

Silicates made of layers of silica tetrahedrons, also called phyllosilicates, including the mica and clay groups.

Mica group

Layered silicates, such as biotite (mafic) and muscovite (felsic).

Clay group

Layered silicates, very common all over the crust.

3D framework silicates

Silicates with a three-dimensional framework of silica tetrahedrons such as quartz and feldspars.

Quartz (SiO2)

The second most abundant mineral in the continental crust.

Feldspar group

The most common minerals in the crust, including orthoclase and plagioclase.

Magma

Molten rock from which minerals can crystallize.

Precipitation

The process where minerals form from fluid solutions, often in cavities or cracks.

Evaporation

A process where minerals form from water-based fluid solutions when the water evaporates.

Condensation

A process where minerals form from hot gases.

Mineral aggregates

Collections of many small, microscopic crystals.

Paragenesis

The process where different minerals grow together in the same environment.

Mineral inclusions

Minerals that become trapped within larger, faster-growing crystals.

Crystal twins

Groups of two or more crystals of the same mineral connected at precise angles.