| A | B |
|---|
| mineral | a naturally formed, inorganic solid with a crystalline structure |
| element | a pure substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by ordinary chemical means; made of one kind of atom |
| atom | smallest part of an element that has all the properties of that element |
| compound | substance made of two or more elements that have been chemically joined |
| crystal | solid, geometric form of minerals produced by a repeating pattern of atoms that is present throughout the mineral |
| Two major divisions of minerals | silicates and non-silicates |
| silicate minerals | minerals that contain silicon and oxygen (two most common elements on Earth's crust) |
| non-silicate minerals | do not contain both silicon and oxygen |
| 6 classes of non-silicate minerals | native elements; carbonates; halides; oxides; sulfates; sulfides |
| native elements | class of non-silicate mineral; composed of only one element (gold, silver, etc.) |
| carbonates | class of non-silicate; contain combination of carbon and oxygen (calcite); used in cement and fireworks |
| halides | class of non-silicate; used to make fertilizer |
| oxides | class of non-silicate; compounds with certain elements that combine with oxygen (e.g., magnetite); used to make abrasives and airline parts |
| sulfates | class of non-silicate; contain sulfur and oxygen (gypsum, etc.); used in cosmetics, toothpaste, paint |
| sulfides | class of non-silicate; (e.g., galena); used to make batteries, medicines, electronic parts |
| 7 ways to identify minerals | color; luster; streak; cleavage; fracture; hardness; density |
| luster | way the surface of a mineral reflects light (metallic, sub-metallic, non-metallic) |
| streak | color of mineral in powdered form (not always same as color of weathered mineral) |
| cleavage | tendency of mineral to break along flat surfaces (e.g., diamond, mica) |
| fracture | tendency of mineral to break along curved or irregular surfaces |
| hardness | resistance of mineral to being scratched |
| Moh's Hardness Scale | scale of reference minerals ranging from 1 (soft: talc) to 10 (hard: diamond) |
| Density | amount of matter in a given space; mass per unit volume (d=m/v); expressed in grams per cubic centimeters |
| specific gravity | ratio of an object's density to the density of water (one gram per cubic centimeter) |
| ore | mineral deposit large enough and pure enough to be mined for a profit |
| surface mining | removal of minerals at or near the Earth's surface (open pits, strip mines, quarries) |
| deep mining | removal of minerals or other materials from deep within the Earth (require mine shafts and passages) |
| gems | mineral crystals that are both attractive and rare |
| two major problems caused by mining | 1) destruction of plant or animal habitats; 2) pollution due to waste products |
| reclamation | process of returning mined land to its original state after mining is completed |
