Minerals and rocks flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering mineral criteria, rock types, common minerals, and bonding concepts discussed in the video lecture.

Mineral

A solid, naturally occurring, inorganic substance with a definite chemical composition and an orderly internal crystal structure.

Naturally occurring

Formed by geological processes, not manufactured by humans.

Inorganic

Not derived from living matter; minerals formed without biological input.

Chemical composition

The specific combination and proportion of elements that make up a mineral.

Crystal structure

The orderly, repeating arrangement of atoms in a mineral.

Ice

Solid water; ice is a mineral because it has a definite structure, unlike liquid water.

Water

Liquid H2O; not a mineral because it lacks a definite crystalline structure.

Crystalline rock

Rock that contains visible crystals formed by crystal growth.

Clastic rock

Rock made of broken fragments (clasts) of other rocks, often layered.

Thin section

A very thin slice of rock (~4 microns) prepared for microscopic study of minerals.

Scale

The size reference from landscapes to individual grains used when studying rocks.

Luster

The way a mineral's surface reflects light (e.g., metallic or non‑metallic shine).

Hardness

Resistance to scratching on the Mohs scale; higher numbers scratch lower ones.

Streak

The color of a mineral’s powder when rubbed on a porcelain plate.

Cleavage

A mineral’s tendency to break along flat, well‑defined planes.

Specific gravity

A mineral’s density relative to water.

Magnetism

Magnetic property used to identify minerals (e.g., magnetite).

Silicate

A major group of minerals built from silicon‑oxygen tetrahedra; the most common rock‑forming minerals.

Carbonate

Minerals containing carbonate groups (CO3); many fizz in acids (e.g., calcite, dolomite).

Oxide

Minerals composed of oxygen with metals (e.g., magnetite, hematite).

Halide

Minerals formed from halogen salts; halite (NaCl) is a common evaporite halide.

Sulfate

Minerals containing sulfate groups (SO4); gypsum is a common example.

Sulfide

Minerals containing sulfur bound to a metal (e.g., pyrite, galena).

Olivine

A green silicate mineral common in mantle rocks and some crustal rocks.

Feldspar

A group of abundant rock‑forming silicates; common in granitic rocks.

Quartz

A hard, widely distributed silicate mineral; a major building block of many rocks.

Calcite

A carbonate mineral that fizzes with acid; helps distinguish carbonates.

Dolomite

A carbonate mineral similar to calcite; also reacts with acid under certain conditions.

Halite

Sodium chloride; halide mineral that forms cubic crystals from evaporites.

Gypsum

Calcium sulfate; used in drywall; an evaporite mineral.

Magnetite

Iron oxide with strong magnetic properties; important ore.

Hematite

Iron oxide mineral; another major iron ore; typically reddish with metallic luster.

Pyrite

Iron sulfide; known as fool’s gold; common sulfide mineral.

Galena

Lead sulfide; a dense, metallic ore with cubic cleavage.

Diamond

Carbon allotrope with a covalent network; the hardest natural material.

Graphite

Carbon allotrope with a layered structure; softer; used in pencils.

Covalent bonding

Strong bond formed by sharing electrons between atoms.

Ionic bonding

Bonding through electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions.

Metallic bonding

Bonding in metals with a 'sea' of electrons; supports conductivity and malleability.

Van der Waals forces

Weak intermolecular forces that influence how minerals interact and stick together.

Weathering vs erosion

Weathering: breakdown of rocks; erosion: movement of the broken material.

Oxygen abundance

Oxygen is the most abundant element in Earth’s crust.

Continental crust vs oceanic crust

Continental crust is less dense and granitic; oceanic crust is denser and mafic (iron‑rich).

Efflorescence

Precipitation of salts on surfaces from moisture moving through rock.

Amethyst

Purple variety of quartz.

Muscovite

Light mica with one plane of cleavage; can be peeled into sheets.

Biotite

Dark mica with one plane of cleavage; common in many rocks.