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Rocks Minerals 1
Rocks & Minerals Week #1 Vocabulary
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Mineral | a naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a crystal structure and a definite chemical composition |
Inorganic | not formed from living things or the remains of living things |
Rocks | naturally occurring solids made of minerals or mineral-like substances |
Crystal Structure | the unique arrangement of the atoms in a crystal which gives it a three-dimensional appearance |
Composition | the special combination of the parts or elements that make up something such as rocks |
Streak | the color of a mineral's powder |
Luster | the way a mineral reflects light from its surface |
Mohs Hardness Scale | a scale ranking ten minerals from softest to hardest; used in testing the hardness of minerals |
Density | the amount of mass of a substance in a given volume |
Cleavage | a mineral's ability to split easily along flat surfaces |
Fracture | the way a mineral looks when it breaks apart in an irregular way |