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Minerals-Elaine
Minerals Quest Study Guide Vocabulary by Elaine Miller
Question | Answer |
---|---|
Mineral | naturally occurring inorganic solid that has a definite chemical composition and an orderly internal atomic structure |
crystal | solid where the atoms are arranged in an orderly, repeating pattern |
magma | hot, mealted rock material beneath Earth's surface |
silicate | mineral that contains silicon and oxygen and usually one or more other elements |
hardness | measure of how easily a mineral can be scratched |
luster | describes the way a mineral reflects light from its surface; can be metallic or nonmetalic |
streak | color of a mineral when it is in powdered form |
cleavage | physical property of some minerals that causes them to break along smooth, flat surfaces |
fracture | physical property of some minerals that causes them to break with uneven or not smooth surfaces |
gem | beautiful, rare, highly prized mineral that can be worn in jewlry |
ore | deposit in which a mineral exists in large enough amounts to be mined at a profit |