6th Grade - Minerals

Mineral

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

Inorganic

Minerals are this because they are not formed from living things or the remains of living things.

Crystal

A solid in which the atoms, or molecules, are arranged in a repeating pattern.

Solid

A state of matter that has a definite shape and a definite volume.

Streak

The color of a mineral's powder.

Luster

The way a mineral reflects light from its surface.

Moh's hardness scale

A scale ranking ten minerals from softest to hardest; used in testing the hardness of minerals.

Cleavage

A mineral's ability to split easily along flat surfaces.

Fracture

The way a mineral looks when it breaks apart in an irregular way (they don't split evenly apart). The mineral can look jagged and uneven at the break.

Geode

A hollow rock inside in which mineral crystals have grown. The mineral forms from solution crystallization inside the rock.

Crystallization

The process by which atoms are arranged to form a material with a crystal structure. The process usually occurs deep inside Earth's crust.

Solution

A mixture in which one substance is dissolved in another.

Vein

A narrow channel or slab of a mineral that is sharply different from the surrounding rock.

Gemstone

A hard, colorful mineral that has a brilliant or glassy luster and is valued for its appearance.

Ore

Rock that contains a metal or other economically useful minerals.

Mining

Extracting (taking out) ore or minerals from the ground.

Color

This property should not be used to identify a mineral because many minerals have this in common.

Compound

Most minerals are this because they are made of two or more elements.

Diamond

The hardest known mineral.

Evaporate

Minerals may form on Earth's surface when solutions do this. This is when a substance changes from a liquid to a gas.

Gold

An example of an element that occurs in nature in pure form.

Halite

This mineral is formed by evaporation.

Metals

These minerals are useful because they can be stretched, hammered or molded without breaking.

Open Pit

In this type of mining, miners use earth moving equipment to dig a huge hole.

Shaft

This type of mine often has a network of tunnels that extend deep into the ground.

Talc

The softest mineral on Mohs hardness scale.

Strip mine

Earthmoving equipment scrapes away soil to expose ore

Density

mass divided by volume. How much matter is in a given space.

Solvent

A liquid substance capable of dissolving other substances

Solute

A substance that is dissolved in a solution.