study rocks and minerals

i aint getting in - 9/3/26 9:40 PM Thursday

Color

minerals visible hue

Hardness

resistance to scratching: mohs scale

Luster

describes how light reflects off a minerals surface

Streak

color of a minerals powder when rubbed on an unglazed porcelain plate

Cleavage

tendency to break along flat planes

Fracture

irregular breakage

Density

mass per unit volume

Diaphaneity

degree to which light passes through a mineral

Tenacity

resistance to breaking bending cutting or deformation

Reaction with acid

some minerals react with hydrochloric acid releasing carbon dioxide gas

Fluorescence

emission of visible light when exposed to uv light

Magnetism

attraction to magnets due to iron or magnetic elements in mineral structure

smell

some minerals release distinct odors when rubbed broken or moistened

taste

some minerals have distinctive tastes

Double refraction

splitting of light into two rays passing through a crystal

Piezoelectricity

electric charge generated when pressure is applied to certain crystals

Radioactivity

emission of radiation

Acicular

crystal habit that is thin needle like shape

Botryoidal

crystals form rounded like grape clusters

Cubic

shaped as cubes or having right angle edges

Dendritic

formation resembles branching trees or plant like structures

Druzy

surface covered with a layer of small glittering crystals

Polymorphs

minerals with the same chemical formula but different crystal structure

Feldspar group

major group of silicate minerals composing over half of earths crust

Garnet group

isometric silicates forming dodecahedral crystals

Tourmaline group

complex boron silicates with variable composition and colors

Crystallization from Magma

formation of minerals as molten rock cools and solidifies

Hydrothermal formation

minerals precipitated from hot mineral rich water in cracks or voids

Chemical Weathering

breakdown of rocks and minerals by chemical reactions

Jewlery

use of precious and semi precious minerals in adornment

Construction

use of mienrals in building materials and infrastructure

Electronics

minerals used for their electrical or semiconducting properties

Geochronology

dating rocks and events using radioactive isotopes in minerals