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Minerals & Rocks
Minerals and Rocks Vocabulary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| texture | the look and feel of a rock's surface, determined by the size, shape and pattern of a rock's grains. |
| igneous rock | a type of rock that forms from the cooling of molten rock at or below the surface. |
| grain | a particle of mineral or other rock that fives a rock its texture. |
| sedimentary rock | a type of rock that forms when particles from other rocks or the remains of plants and animals are pressed and cemented together. |
| metamorphic rock | a type of rock that forms from an existing rock that is changed by heat, pressure or chemical reactions. |
| extrusive rock | igneous rock that forms from lava on Earth's surface. |
| intrusive rock | igneous rock that forms when magma hardens beneath Earth's surface |
| porphyritic texture | an igneous rock texture in which large crystals are scattered on a background of much smaller crystals |
| sediment | small, solid pieces of material that comes from rocks or organisms. |
| erosion | the destructive process in which water or wind loosen and carry away fragments of rock. |
| deposition | the process by which sediments settles out of water or wind that is carrying it. |
| compaction | the process by which sediments are pressed together under their own weight. |
| cementation | the process by which dissolved minerals crystallize and glue particles of sediment together into one mass |
| clastic rock | sedimentary rock that forms when rock fragments are squeezed together under high pressure |
| element | a substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by ordinary chemical or physical means. |
| chemical rock | sedimentary rock that forms when minerals crystallize from a solution |
| atomic number | the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom |
| energy level | one of several distinct regions around the nucleus of an atom where electrons are located. |
| isotope | an atom with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons for a given element |
| mass number | the number of neutrons |
| foliated | term used to describe metamorphic rocks whose grains are arranged in parallel layers or bands. |
| rock cycle | a series of processes on the surface and inside Earth that slowly change rocks from one kind to another |
| mass number | the number of neutrons and protons in the nucleus of an atom |
| compound | a substance formed by the chemical combination of two or more elements in definite proportions and usually having properties different from those of its consituent elements |
| Chemical bond | a force that holds together atoms that form a compound. |
| ion | an atom or a molecule that possesses an electrical charge. |
| ionic bond | a bond that forms between negative and positive ions. |
| covalent bond | a bond that forms when atoms share electrons. |
| metallic bond | a bond that forms when electrons are shared by metal ions. |
| mineral | a naturally occuring, inorganic crystalline material with a unique chemical composition. |
| silicate | any one of numerous minerals that have the oxygen and silicon tetrahedron as their basic structure. |
| silicon-oxygen tetrahedron | a structure composed of four oxygen atoms surrounding a silicon atom, which constitutes the basic building block of silicate minerals. |
| streak | the color of a mineral in powdered form |
| luster | The appearance or quality of light reflected from the surface of a mineral. |
| crystal form | the external appearance of a mineral as determined by its internal arrangement of atoms. |
| hardness | the resistance a mineral offers to scratching |
| cleavage | the tendency of a mineral to break along planes of weak bonding |
| Mohs Scale | a series of 10 minerals used as a standard in determining hardness. |
| fracture | any break or rupture in rock along which no appreciable movement has taken place. |
| density | mass per unit volume of a substance, usually expressed as grams per cubic centimeter |
| rock | a consolidated mixture of minerals |
| magma | a body of molten rock found at depth, including any dissolved gases and crystals |
| lava | magma that reaches Earth's surface |
| weathering | the disintegration and decomposition of rock at or near Earth's surface. |
| granitic composition | a compositional group of igneous rocks that indicate a rock is composed almost entirely of light-colored silicates, mainly quartz and feldspar. |
| basaltic composition | a compositional group of igneous rocks indicating that the rock contains substantial dark silicate mainerals and calcium rich plagioclase feldspar. |
| andesitic composition | the composition of igneous rocks lying between felsic and mafic |
| ultramafic | igneous rock composed mainly of iron and magnesium-rich minerals |
| metamorphism | the changes in mineral composition and texture of a rock subjected to high temperature and pressure within Earth |
| hydrothermal solutions | hot, water-based solutions that escape from a mass of magma during the later stages of crystallization - these solutions may alter the surrounding rock |
| contact metamorphism | changes in rock caused by the heat from a nearby magma body |
| regional metamorphism | metamorphism associated with large-scale mountain-building processes |
| nonfoliated | metamorphic rock that does not exhibit a banded or layered appearance |
Created by:
melaniebird
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