F1 Minerals

Lithophile

Rock-loving chemical elements that combine readily with oxygen

Atmophile

Elements that combine to form stable gases and accumulate in the atmosphere of a planet.

Chalcophile

Sulphur loving element typically found in the mantle

Siderophile

Iron-loving chemical elements typically found in the core

Goldschmidt classification

Arrangement of elements based on their chemical affinities

Mineral

a naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a crystal structure and a definite chemical composition

Rock

A naturally occurring solid mixture of one or more minerals or organic matter

Polymorph

two minerals that have the same chemical composition but a different crystal structure

Native element

a mineral that is composed of only one element

Natural glass

Not a mineral because there is no regular arrangement of the atoms due to rapid cooling

Lustre

how a mineral reflects light

Streak

The color of a mineral in powdered form

Cleavage

the splitting of a mineral along smooth, flat surfaces created by internal weaknesses

fracture

The way a mineral looks when it breaks apart in an irregular way

Hardness

A measure of how easily a mineral can be scratched

Solidification

The change of state from a liquid to a solid where minerals crystallise

Hydrothermal Activity

The circulation of water through hot volcanic rocks and magmas

Recrystallisation

Solid state process changing minerals into new crystalline metamorphic minerals.

Island silicate

Separate tetrahedrons with metal ions (Fe, Mg) joined to them with covalent bonds

Single Chain silicates

Each tetrahedron shares corner oxygen atoms with two tetrahedrons to join a long chain

Double Chain silicates

Form when two single chains of tetrahedrons link to each other by sharing oxygen atoms

Sheet silicates

Each tetrahedron shares three oxygen atoms with other tetrahedron to form a continuous sheet

framework silicates

Form when each tetrahedron is covalent bonded to four other tetrahedrons