Minerals and Mineral Identification

Flashcards about minerals, their properties, and identification techniques.

Minerals are:

Naturally occurring, inorganic, solid, ordered with internal molecular structure, characteristic & consistent chemical composition and identifiable physical properties.

Earth's Crust Composition

Over 90% of Earth’s crust is composed of minerals from only 5 groups: feldspars, pyroxenes, amphiboles, micas, quartz.

Minerals, rocks & soils Importance in Engineering

Every engineering structure built on this Earth must interact with either rocks or soils. All rocks & soils are composed of a heterogeneous assortment of (related) minerals.

Evolution of humans & minerals

Stone Age, Bronze Age, Concrete & Roman Coliseum, RCA building, Rockefeller Center, New York.

Element

A substance that cannot be broken down into others by ordinary chemical reactions.

Atom

The smallest unit of a substance that retains the properties of that element. Composed of protons, neutrons and electrons.

Molecule

The smallest unit of a compound that retains the properties of that substance.

Common elements in Earth's crust

O, Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Na, K, Mg

Isotopes

Atoms of an element with different numbers of neutrons.

Mineral groups

Silicates, Oxides & Hydroxides, Sulfides, Sulfates, Native Elements, Halides, Carbonates, Phosphates

Non-Ferromagnesian Silicates

Non-ferromagnesian (light) silicates contain ions of aluminum, potassium, calcium, sodium (or combinations) in their structure instead of iron and magnesium.

Clay mineral groups

Kaolinite, Smectite, Illite, Chlorite

Native elements

Composed entirely of one element (e.g., diamond - C; gold - Au).

Polymorph

Polymorph - some elements can join in more than one geometric arrangement. Chemical composition stays the same but Physical properties differ.

Ore minerals

Minerals of commercial value ($). Most are non-silicates (primary source of metals).

Color

Visible hue of a mineral.

Streak

Color left behind when mineral is scraped on unglazed porcelain.

Luster

Manner in which light reflects off surface of a mineral

Cleavage

Breakage along flat planes.

Specific gravity

Density relative to that of water.