Unit 1: Rocks and Minerals
Standard
S6E5b. Plan and carry out an investigation of the characteristics of minerals and how minerals contribute to rock contribution.
Learning Target
I can describe the characteristics of minerals
I can explain that rocks are made of minerals
S6E5b. Plan and carry out an investigation of the characteristics of minerals and how minerals contribute to rock contribution.
Learning Target
I can describe the characteristics of minerals
I can explain that rocks are made of minerals
Key Vocabulary
Minerals
Composition
Luster
Inorganic
Streak
Cleavage
Crystalline
Hardness
Fracture
Minerals
Composition
Luster
Inorganic
Streak
Cleavage
Crystalline
Hardness
Fracture
Rocks and Minerals
Minerals occur in nature. Minerals can be pure substances (elements) or combination of substances (compound). Minerals are the raw materials of rocks. Rock types are characterized by the types of minerals present in their relative proportions, and the processes by which the rocks were formed. Of these processes, heat, pressure, and time are the most important.
Minerals have definite chemical compositions and physical properties. Some common minerals are feldspar, quartz, calcite, mica, and hornblende. Some minerals are valuable enough to be mined. Some of these are the metal ores from which we obtain iron, lead, copper, aluminum, zinc, gold, and silver.
Mineral properties:
Shape
· Minerals are usually formed in layers
· Shape of minerals can change from environmental factors such as erosion and weathering
· Shapes of crystals found in minerals are used to identify them
Color and Streak
· Color is one of the most commonly used properties to identify minerals
· However, color can change due to weathering (i.e. rusting of iron)
· Breaking a sample of a mineral will help to reveal its true color
· The easiest way to do this is by way of a streak test, in which a sample of the mineral is scraped over a white, unglazed tile called a streak plate.
· The color of the powder mark that is left on the tile is usually a good clue to the mineral's identity.
Hardness
· Minerals vary a great deal in hardness, but scientists are able to determine ranges of hardness by way of a list called Moh's Scale.
· The scale ranges from the softest mineral (talc) to the very hardest (diamond).
· If two minerals are scratched across each other, the one that leaves a streak will always be the softest of the two.
Luster
· Luster describes how a mineral or object reflects light.
· It can also be described as glassy, waxy, oily, shiny and metallic.
Cleavage and Fracture
· If a mineral can be split or broken on a flat plane then it has cleavage.
· Minerals can split in one or many directions
· If a mineral doesn't split on flat planes or shatters easily than it is said to have fracture.
Minerals have definite chemical compositions and physical properties. Some common minerals are feldspar, quartz, calcite, mica, and hornblende. Some minerals are valuable enough to be mined. Some of these are the metal ores from which we obtain iron, lead, copper, aluminum, zinc, gold, and silver.
Mineral properties:
Shape
· Minerals are usually formed in layers
· Shape of minerals can change from environmental factors such as erosion and weathering
· Shapes of crystals found in minerals are used to identify them
Color and Streak
· Color is one of the most commonly used properties to identify minerals
· However, color can change due to weathering (i.e. rusting of iron)
· Breaking a sample of a mineral will help to reveal its true color
· The easiest way to do this is by way of a streak test, in which a sample of the mineral is scraped over a white, unglazed tile called a streak plate.
· The color of the powder mark that is left on the tile is usually a good clue to the mineral's identity.
Hardness
· Minerals vary a great deal in hardness, but scientists are able to determine ranges of hardness by way of a list called Moh's Scale.
· The scale ranges from the softest mineral (talc) to the very hardest (diamond).
· If two minerals are scratched across each other, the one that leaves a streak will always be the softest of the two.
Luster
· Luster describes how a mineral or object reflects light.
· It can also be described as glassy, waxy, oily, shiny and metallic.
Cleavage and Fracture
· If a mineral can be split or broken on a flat plane then it has cleavage.
· Minerals can split in one or many directions
· If a mineral doesn't split on flat planes or shatters easily than it is said to have fracture.
naturalresourcesmineralsvocab.pub | |
File Size: | 5925 kb |
File Type: | pub |