Unit 4: The Geosphere and Minerals

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards reviewing the geosphere layers, mineral definition and properties, Mohs hardness scale, and mineral industrial uses.

Geosphere

The structural system of the Earth consisting of 3 concentric layers: the crust, mantle, and core.

Crust

The outermost layer covering the Earth's surface, which is the least dense layer and is categorized as continental and oceanic.

Mantle

The intermediate layer of the Earth located directly under the crust.

Core

The densest layer of the Earth located under the mantle, divided into the outer core and inner core.

Mineral

A solid, inorganic, natural material with a definite chemical composition and a crystalline structure.

Inorganic

A property describing matter that did not originate from a living thing.

Crystalline Structure

An ordered atomic arrangement reflected in the shape of a mineral if it is formed slowly.

Habit (Form)

The characteristic physical shape of a mineral, such as cubes, prisms, sheets, or irregular forms.

Streak

The colour of the powder produced when a mineral is scratched against a surface.

Lustre

The way a mineral reflects light, classified as glassy, pearly, metallic, or dull.

Cleavage

The specific way a mineral breaks into pieces with a defined shape, such as sheets or cubes.

Hardness

A mineral's resistance to being scratched, identified on the Mohs scale from 1 to 10.

Mohs Hardness Scale

A ranking scale from 1 (Talc) to 10 (Diamond) used to identify the scratch resistance of minerals.

Transparency

The characteristic way minerals react to light, categorized as transparent, opaque, or translucent.

Metal Ores

Minerals used to extract metals, such as bauxite for aluminum, galena for lead, and hematite for iron.

Gems (Precious Stones)

Minerals utilized in jewelry, including diamonds, green emeralds, red rubies, and blue sapphires.

Quartz

A glassy, transparent mineral with a prism habit and a chemical composition of $SiO2$, commonly used in industry to make glass.

Halite

A mineral notable for its characteristic flavour.

Magnetite

A mineral distinguished by its magnetic properties and metallic lustre.

Gypsum

A mineral with a pearly lustre and a Mohs hardness of 2, used industrially to make plaster.

Muscovite

A mineral characterized by breaking into thin sheets due to its sheet habit and cleavage.

Azurite

A mineral identified by its characteristic blue colour.

Amethyst

A translucent mineral recognized by its characteristic purple colour.

Sulphur

A mineral recognized by its yellow colour and distinctive odor.

Galena

An opaque metal ore mineral used to obtain lead.

Bauxite

A metal ore mineral primary used to obtain aluminum.

Hematite

A metal ore mineral used as a source to obtain iron.

Limonite

A mineral characterized by a dull lustre.

Pyrite

A mineral that exhibits a cubic habit or form.

Calcopyrite

A mineral characterized by an irregular habit or form.