| A | B |
|---|
| mineral | a naturally formed, inorganic solid with a crystalline structure |
| element | is a substance that cannot be broken down into simpler forms by ordinary chemical means |
| crystals | are solid, geometric forms of minerals produced by a repeating pattern of atoms present throughout the mineral |
| compound | is a substance made of two or more elements that have been chemically joined (bonded) |
| atom | is the smallest part of an elelment that has all the properties of that element |
| silicate minerals | minerals that contain a combination of the two elements silicon and oxygen |
| nonsilicate minerals | minerals that do not contain a combination of the elements of silicon and oxygen |
| Feldspar | the most common silicate mineral group |
| Quartz | the basic building block of many rocks |
| Luster | the way a surface reflects light |
| streak | the color of a mineral in powdered form |
| cleavage | is the tendency of some minerals to break along flat surfaces |
| fracture | is the tendency of some minerals to break unevenly along curved or irregular surfaces |
| hardness | a minerals' resistance to being scratched |
| density | measure of the amount of matter in an object |
| D=M/V | density formula |
| specific gravity | ratio of an object's density to the density of water |
| Mohs Hardness Scale | a scale of the hardness of minerals from most least to greatest |
| ore | a mineral deposit large enough and pure enough to be mined for profit |
| reclamation | return land to its original state after the mining is completed |
