Geology Study Guide Chapter 1: Minerals

Vocabulary flashcards covering the five characteristics of minerals, identification properties, the Mohs Hardness Scale, and the distinction between felsic and mafic minerals.

Mineral

A naturally occurring solid with a specific chemical makeup and an orderly crystal structure.

Naturally occurring

A characteristic of minerals meaning they form in nature rather than in a factory.

Solid

A mineral characteristic stating they must not be liquids or gases.

Inorganic

A mineral characteristic signifying they are not made by living things.

Definite chemical composition

A mineral characteristic meaning every mineral has its own specific chemical recipe.

Crystal structure

A mineral characteristic where atoms are arranged in a repeating pattern.

Rock

A mixture of one or more minerals; described as the finished recipe compared to mineral ingredients.

Color

A mineral identification property that is useful but not always reliable.

Streak

The color of a mineral's powder.

Hardness

The property describing how resistant a mineral is to scratching.

Cleavage

The tendency of a mineral to break along flat, smooth surfaces.

Fracture

The tendency of a mineral to break unevenly instead of along flat surfaces.

Luster

A property describing how light reflects from the surface of a mineral.

Crystal Shape

Predictable forms in which many minerals grow.

Mohs Hardness Scale

A scale used to rank minerals based on hardness, ranging from $1$ to $10$.

Talc

The softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale with a hardness of $1$.

Diamond

The hardest natural mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale with a hardness of $10$.

Felsic Minerals

Minerals that are usually light colored and high in silica, such as quartz, potassium feldspar, and muscovite.

Mafic Minerals

Minerals that are usually dark colored and high in iron and magnesium, such as olivine, pyroxene, amphibole, and biotite.

Silica

A chemical component found in high concentrations in felsic minerals.

Iron and Magnesium

Chemical elements found in high concentrations in mafic minerals.