| Term | Definition |
| Mineralogists | Scientists who study the distribution of minerals, mineral properties, and their uses
are |
| Luster | the way a mineral reflects or absorbs light at its
surface. |
| Streak | the color of a mineral in powdered form |
| Hardness | the resistance of a mineral to being scratched |
| Fracture | If a mineral breaks to form uneven surfaces, it has |
| Cleavage | If a mineral breaks with smooth, flat surfaces, it has |
| Density | The mass of an object divided by its volume is the ____________________ of a mineral |
| Mineral | a naturally occurring, inorganic solid, with a
definite chemical composition. |
| Silicate | a mineral
that contains silicon and oxygen in its crystal structure, although it can also
contain other elements. |
| Crystallization | Dissolved minerals in water can undergo , or solidify in an orderly arrangement of atoms, when the water evaporates. |
| magma | molten rock below Earth’s surface |
| lava | magma that erupts onto Earth’s surface |
| ore | Rocks that contain high enough concentrations of a desired substance, such as a metal, so that it can be mined for profit |
| gemstone | a rare and attractive mineral that can be worn as jewelry |
| deposit | sediment or rock added to a
landform |
| grain | fragment that makes up a rock |
| lava | molten rock that erupts on
Earth’s surface |
| magma | molten or liquid rock
underground |
| mineral | naturally occurring,
inorganic solid with a definite
chemical composition and an
orderly arrangement of atoms |
| rock | natural, solid mixture of minerals
or particles |
| rock cycle | series of processes that
change one type of rock into another
type of rock |
| sediment | rock material that is
broken down into smaller pieces
or dissolved in water as rocks
erode |
| texture | grain size and the way
grains fit together in a rock |
| extrusive rock | igneous rock that
cools and crystallizes on Earth’s
surface |
| intrusive rock | igneous rock that
forms as magma cools underground |
| volcanic glass | rock that forms
when lava cools too quickly to
form crystals |
| biochemical rock | sedimentary rock
that was formed by organisms or
contains the remains of organisms |
| cementation | crystallization of
minerals from water into the
spaces between sediment grains |
| chemical rock | made of minerals
that crystallize directly from water |
| clast | broken piece or fragment of
rock |
| clastic rocks | sedimentary rock made
of clasts of minerals or rock
fragments |
| compaction | process that squeezes
out fluids and decreases the space
between the grains in a sediment
deposit |
| foliated rock | contains parallel
layers of flat and elongated
minerals |
| metamorphism | process that affects
structure or composition of rocks
in the solid state; occurs due to
changes in heat, pressure, or the
addition of chemical fluids |
| nonfoliated rock | has mineral grains
with a random interlocking texture |
| plastic deformation | permanent
change in rock shape caused by
bending and folding |
