Defining minerals and ores
A natural, inorganic, crystalline solid that has a definite chemical composition
What is a mineral?
a mineral's crystal classification deals mostly with this
What is its shape?
used to identify some minerals that burn certain colors
What is a flame test?
pure substances of only one element
What are native minerals?
minerals that are compounds of two or more elements
What are compound minerals?
Rockes that contain minerals important to industry
What is an ore?
a system to rate a mineral's hardness
What is Mohs scale?
the process by which a crystal grows
What is accretion?
unit of mass for grading minerals
What is a carat?
a group of minerals commonly known as salts
What are halides?
Cinnabar AKA mercury sulfice is an or of this
What is mercury?
obsidian shows this type of fracture
What is conchoidal?
used to identify carbonates, sulfides, and sulfites
What is an acid test?
a native mineral that conducts electricity the best
What is silver?
The most abundant family or class of minerals found in the earth's crust
What are silicates?
A mineral of only one kind of atom
What is a native mineral?
The amount and quality of the light reflected from a mineral's surface
What is luster?
magnetite
the type of mineral most often found in placer deposits
compounds of an oxygen and metal
What are oxides?
12/24 gold has this ratio
What is 12-Karat Gold?
The ratio of the density of a specimen to the density of water ar 4 oC
What is specific gravity?
a property of minerals that tend to break along definite planes of a crystal
What is cleavage?
A Mineral that forms a tough outer layer when it tarnishes helping it resist corrosion and making it good for plumbing
What is copper?
a compound mineral that fizzes when tested with acids
What are the carbonates?