MINERALS - Building Blocks of Rocks, Occur Naturally, Inorganic, Internal Structure is in Orderly Pattern, Definite Chemical Composition

CRYSTAL GROWTH - IT DESCRIBES THE GROWTH PATTERN OF THE CRYSTALS OF THE MINERAL.

LUSTER - REFERS TO THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF LIGHT WHICH IS REFLECTED FROM THE SURFACE OF THE MINERAL.

METALLIC LUSTER - ARE MINERALS THAT “SHINE” WHEN EXPOSED TO LIGHT.

NON METALLIC LUSTER – ARE PEARLY, SILKY, VITREOUS AND RESINOUS.

SUBMETALLIC LUSTER – ARE MINERALS THAT HAS SOMEWHAT METALLIC LUSTER.

COLOR - IS THE VISUAL PERCEPTUAL PROPERTY CORRESPONDING IN HUMANS. UNRELIABLE

STREAK - IS THE COLOR WHICH THE MINERAL DISPLAY WHEN IT HAS BEEN IN ITS POWDERED FORM. IT IS CONSIDERED TO BE MUCH RELIABLE INDICATION OF COLOR.

HARDNESS - IS THE RESISTANCE OF THE MINERAL FROM BEING SCRATCHED. TO MEASURE THE HARDNESS OF THE MINERALS IT INVOLVES THE USE OF MOHS’ SCALE.

FRIEDRICH MOHS - INVENTED MOHS’ SCALE.

CLEAVAGE - IS THE SPLITTING OF CRYSTALS ALONG THE SMOOTH PLANE. CLEAVAGE IS THE NATURAL TENDENCY OF MINERALS TO BREAK ALONG DEFINITE SEAMS OF WEAK BONDING.

FRACTURE - TAKES PLACE WHEN A MINERAL SPLITS IN A DIRECTION POSSESSING DIFFICULT INDISTINCT CLEAVAGE.

CONCHOIDAL FRACTURE - RESULTS IN A SERIES OF SMOOTHLY CURVED CONCENTRIC RINGS ABOUT THE STRESSED POINT, GENERATING A SHELLLIKE APPEARANCE.

IRREGULAR FRACTURE - RESULTS IN A RUGGED OR ROUGH SURFACE.

SPECIFIC GRAVITY - REFERS TO THE RATIO OF THE WEIGHT OF A MINERAL TO THE WEIGHT OF AN EQUAL WATER.

MAGNETISM – ABILITY TO ATTRACT OTHER MINERALS. EX. MAGNETITE

ELECTRICAL PROPERTY – SOME MINERALS BECOME ELECTRICALLY CHARGED WHEN RUBBED LIKE SULFUR OR WHEN SUBJECTED TO PRESSURE LIKE QUARTZ, OR WHEN HEATED THE OPPOSITE ENDS BECOME ELECTRICALLY CHARGED LIKE TOURMALINE.

MALLEABILITY – ABILITY OF MINERALS TO BE HAMMERED INTO DESIRED SHAPES. EX. SILVER AND GOLD

DUCTILITY – ABILITY OF MINERALS TO BE DRAWN INTO FINE WIRES. EX. COPPER AND PLATINUM

RADIOACTIVE – ABILITY OF SOME MINERALS TO EMIT RADIATION. EX. RADIUM, THORIUM, URANIUM AND COBALT

ORE - REFERS TO THE TYPE OF ROCK THAT CONTAINS USEFUL METALLIC MINERALS LIKE HEMATITE (MINED FOR IRON) AND GALENA (MINED FOR LEAD), THAT CAN BE MINED FOR A PROFIT.

ROCKS - HARD AND SOLID EARTH’S MATERIAL THAT MAINTAIN THE SHAPE OF THE EARTH

IGNEOUS ROCKS - FORMS FROM MAGMA/LAVA THAT COOLS AND SOLIDIFIES

INTRUSIVE IGNEOUS ROCKS OR PLUTONIC ROCKS - FORMS WHEN MAGMA COOLS SLOWLY BELOW THE EARTH'S SURFACE. MOST INTRUSIVE ROCKS HAVE LARGE, WELL-FORMED CRYSTALS

EXTRUSIVE IGNEOUS ROCKS OR VOLCANIC ROCKS - FORMS WHEN MAGMA REACHES THE EARTH'S SURFACE A VOLCANO AND COOLS QUICKLY. MOST EXTRUSIVE (VOLCANIC) ROCKS HAVE SMALL CRYSTALS.

MAGMA - • IS A MIXTURE OF MOLTEN ROCKS AND PRIMARILY ELEMENTS ARE SILICON,OXYGEN, ALUMINUM, IRON CALCIUM, SODIUM, POTASSIUM AND MAGNESIUM.

BASALTIC -LOW SILICA CONTENT, LOW VISCOSITY

ANDESITIC - A MEDIUM LEVEL OF SILICA CONTENT, INTERMEDIATE VISCOSITY

RHYOLITIC - HIGH SILICA CONTENT, HIGH VISCOSITY

SEDIMENTARY ROCKS - FORMED FROM SMALL PARTICLES OF ROCKS THAT HAVE BEEN LITHIFIED.

WEATHERING - THE PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL BREAKDOWN OF ROCKS

SEDIMENTS - SMALL PARTICLES OF ROCKS FROM THE WEATHERING ARE CALLED

DETRITUS/DETRITAL SEDIMENTARY ROCKS - IS PARTICLES OF ROCK DERIVED FROM PRE-EXISTING ROCK THROUGH PROCESSES OF WEATHERING AND EROSION.

CHEMICAL SEDIMENTARY ROCKS - FORM BY PRECIPITATION OF MINERALS FROM WATER

METAMORPHIC ROCKS - ROCKS THAT CHEMICALLY CHANGED IN FORM, STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITIONUNDER THE PROCESS OF METAMORPHISM.

CONTACT METAMORPHISM – WHEN MAGMA INTRUDES INTO EXISTING ROCKS.

REGIONAL METAMORPHISM – FORMED DURING MOUNTAIN BUILDING PROCESS THAT OCCURS OVER A LARGE AREA.

PETROLOGIC CYCLE - TYPE OF ROCK CHANGING INTO ANOTHER TYPE OF ROCK.