| A | B |
|---|
| mineral | A naturally occurring, inorganic, crystalline solid that has a definite chemical composition. |
| ore | Rocks that contain certain valuable minerals. |
| compound mineral | A mineral made of a chemical compound. |
| mineralogist | A chemical geologist who mainly identifies, classifies, and analyzes minerals. |
| streak test | A color test used to identify a mineral. |
| luster | The amount and quality of light a mineral reflects. |
| cleavage | A property of mineral crystals associated with their ease of splitting along distinct planes. |
| fracture | The tendency of certain minerals to break rather than split along crystal planes. |
| hardness | A mineral's ability to scratch and to resist scratching that relates to the strength of the crystal structure. |
| Mohs scale | A scale of relative hardness from 1 to 10 used for classifying minerals. |
| specific gravity | Ratio of a mineral's density to the density of water at 4 degrees. |
| acid test | A test used to identify certain minerals by noting their reaction with dilute hydrochloric acid. |
| native mineral | A mineral that contains only one element and that exists in its pure state in nature. |
| silicate | A mineral that contains mainly silicon and oxygen. |
| oxide | A mineral composed mainly of oxygen and a metal element. |
| sulfide | A mineral composed of one or more metal elements and sulfur. |
| carbonate | A mineral that contains one or more metal atoms and the carbonate ion. |
| halide | A mineral salt compound. |
