mineral science vocab cards

Mineral

 Naturally occurring, inorganic solid, with an orderly crystalline structure, and a 

                    definite chemical composition

norganic

Composed of nonliving material

 Crystal

The repeating pattern of a mineral’s particles forming a solid

 Streak

The color of the powder form of a mineral

Luster

Describes how light is reflected from a mineral’s surface

Moh’s Hardness Scale

Used to rank the hardness of minerals.   

Hardness

A measure of how easily a mineral can be scratched

Fracture

Tendency of a mineral to break in an uneven, rough, or jagged way

Cleavage

Splits easily along smooth, flat surfaces

Geode

Rounded, hollow rock that is lined with mineral crystals

 Crystallization

Process by which atoms are arranged to form a material that has a crystal 

                               Structure

Solution

Mixture in which one substance dissolved in another

. Vein

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

 Silicate-

- Mineral that contains silicon and oxygen

Gem -

Beautiful, rare, highly-prized minerals that are often worn in jewelry

ore

A deposit in which a mineral exists in large enough amounts to be mined at a profit