Lecture Test 1- mineralogy CSU

Vickers Hardness

(Number) measures the amount of stress it takes to make an indentation on a crystal, data is quantitative

Specific gravity

(density) M/V

How many mineral species are there?

5636

octahedral

8 faces

geode

A hollow rock inside which mineral crystals have grown.

Sulfates

Contain SO4 2-

phosphates

PO4 3-

Blocky/equant

equidimensional

Asbestiform

very fibrous

amygdaloidal

vesicles completely or partially filled with secondary minerals

fibrous

Aggregate of fine, usually thread-like crystals

Flexible Tenacity

Bends without breaking; does not return to original shape

sectile tenacity

Can be cut with a knife

Aggregate

Collection of crystals, individual crystals may or may not be visible

Carbonates

Contain CO3 2-

Sillicates

Contain SiO4 2-

Bladed

Elongated crystals flattened like a knife blade

Prismatic

Elongated crystals with faces that are parallel to a common direction.

Elastic tenacity

Mineral that reverts to original state after source of pressure is removed

Halides

Minerals that contain a halogen ion plus one or more other elements

Native elements

Minerals that only contain one element or type of atom

Petrology

Sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks are composed almost entirely of minerals

Paleontology

The study of the mineralization of organic remains

Seismology

The study of waves travelling through rocks, controlled by the physics of the minerals

banded

a foliated rock that has thick alternating layers of dark and light minerals

radiating

a spray out in many directions

Type Locality

a typical location or representative location, not necessarily the first location where the mineral was discovered.

tabular

book like

Brittle tenacity

breaks or powders easily

Malleable tenacity

can be hammered into thin sheets

Ductile (tenacity)

can be made into wire

Drusy

coating of small crystals

Oxides

contain one or two metal elements combined with oxygen

Sulfides

contains S (but no O) in their structures

compact

crystals are too small to see; shapeless

cubic

cube

Stalactitic

cylinders or cones

Economic Geology

deals with economically valuable minerals

What does -ite mean?

derived from greek- "of the nature of" or "similar to"

SI unit for density

g/cm3 or g/mL

fracture

how a mineral breaks. If no cleavage, then only fracture. Minerals with good cleavage may not show fracture very well.

Hydroecology/Environmental Geology

how water interacts with minerals

SI unit for mass

kilogram (kg)

amourphous

lacking crystal structure

acicular

like a needle in shape : slender and pointed.

parting

like a poor cleavage, sometimes present, sometimes not, parallel to twins or exsolution features-not atomic

SI unit for distance

meter (m)

foliated

micaceous, lamellar, scaly, flaky, platy: splits into plates or leaves

mineraloid

missing some aspect of a typical mineral

Definition of a mineral

naturally occurring, generally inorganic, solid substance, orderly crystalline structure, definite chemical composition

Rhombahedral

non-right angles

Crystal form (habit)

refers to the common or characteristic shape of a crystal or aggregate of crystals

tenacity

resistance to cutting, breaking, bending, and deformation

concentric

spherical layers around a center

colloform

spherical shaped masses

Structural Geology

the study of the deformation of rocks (depends on what minerals it contains) and its effects

Cleavage

the tendency of a mineral to repeatedly break along flat surfaces, parallel to atomic planes.

fracture toughness

this is quantitative, if you squeeze a mineral hard enough to cause crack propagation

capillary

tiny, long, slender strands, usually the size of a hair

Dendritic

tree-like