Minerals 1
What are Minerals?
Building blocks of rocks
Minerals that break into unpredictable irregular pieces are said to exhibit ________________ .
Fracture type of breakage
What is the mineral that has a hardness of 1 on Moh's scale?
Talc
Can minerals be man-made?
No, they must be naturally occuring
Does diamond have glassy or metallic lustre?
Glassy
What is 10 on Moh's scale?
Hardness of diamond
What is Streak?
The colour of powder created when a mineral is rubbed onto a streak plate.
Difference between rocks and mineral
Rocks are made of 2 or more minerals. Minerals are the building blocks of rocks.
Samples of the same mineral may have different colors due to _________________ .
Impurities
Minerals that split into pieces with smooth, regular planes are said to exibit ______________ .
Cleavage type of breakage
2 types of Non-Metallic lustre
Pearly, Glassy, Dull or Earthy
2 types of mineral lustre
Metallic and Nonmetallic
Difference between Pyrite and Gold
Pyrite (Fool's Gold) is harder, while Gold is softer and malleable
The scale that classifies minerals by their hardness.
Mohs Scale
If a fingernail has a hardness of 2.5 on Moh's scale, and it scratches an unknown mineral, the mineral has a hardness less than or more than 2.5?
Less than 2.5
Name an ore.
Iron Ore, Copper Ore or Aluminium Ore
What does inorganic mean?
Not a living thing or made from living things
Two types of mineral breakage
Cleavage and fracture
How can we test the hardness of minerals?
By rubbing minerals against one another, or rubbing them against some known surface or substance.
If Mineral A has a hardness of 5, and Mineral B scratches it. What can you assume about the hardness of Mineral B on Moh's scale?
Mineral B has a hardness greater than 5
Why can't we rely on colour to identify minerals?
Different minerals can have the same colour and the same minerals can have different colours.
A criterion for atomic arrangement in a mineral
Atoms must be arranged in a specific structure/ Specific internal arrangement of atoms
Is coal an ore? Why or why not?
No. Because it is made from once living plants (organic).
Graphite and diamond are both made of the same chemical (carbon). Why do they have different colours, hardness, streak and lustre?
Because the internal carbon atoms are arranged differently in graphite and diamond. Graphite: atoms are arranged in weakly bonded sheets. Diamond: atoms are arranged in a rigid and strongly bonded structure.
Mineral X has a hardness of 3, and Mineral Y has a hardness of 5. If Mineral Z scratches Mineral X, but cannot scratch Mineral Y, what is the hardness of Mineral Z?
Mineral Z hardness is more than 3 but less than 5 = 4.