Minerals
A natural, usually inorganic solid that has a characteristic chemical composition
What is mineral?
A solid whose atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a regular, repeating pattern.
What is a crystal?
A person who examines, analyzes, and classifies minerals.
What is a mineralogist?
The ratio of a mineral's mass to its volume is the mineral's...
What is density?
The most common silicate minerals.
What are feldspars?
Hardens tooth enamel, helping to prevent decay.
What is Fluoride?
The basic unit of the structure of silicate minerals.
What is the silicon-oxygen tetrahedron?
The color of a mineral in powdered form?
What is streak?
Minerals that contain iron may be attracted to magnets.
What is magnetism?
Makes up ninety-six percent of the Earth's surface.
What is silicate minerals?
A mineral that contains a combination of silicon and oxygen and may contain metals.
What is a silicate mineral?
Form rings by sharing oxygen atoms.
What are ring silicates?
The manner in which a mineral breaks along either curved or irregular surfaces.
What is fracture?
When the arrangement of protons and neutrons in the nuclei of some atoms is unstable.
What is radioactivity?
The words waxy, pearly, and dull describe a mineral's
What is luster?
A mineral that does not contain compounds of silicon and oxygen.
What is a nonsilicate mineral?
One method scientists use to study the structure of crystals.
What is the x ray?
The way a mineral reflects light.
What is luster?
The bending of light rays as they pass from one substance, such as air, to another, such as a mineral.
What is refraction?
Two single chains of tetrahedra bond to each other, resulting in.
What is double chain silicate?
The number of mineral identified by Earth scientists.
What is 4,000?
Three common crystal structures for silicates?
What are cubes, prisms, and irregular?
When a mineral splits along specific planes of weakness.
What is cleavage?
This takes place because light rays are split into two parts as they enter the crystal.
What is double refraction?
Double refraction is a property of some crystals.
What is calcite?