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Minerals
Minerals and Identification
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Mineral | a substance that is solid, forms in nature, has a crystal structure, and specific chemical makeup |
| Element | a substance made up of one type of atom Examples: copper, gold, silver |
| Compound | a substance made up of two or more types of atoms Example: halite |
| Crystal | a solid in which the atoms are arranged in an orderly, repeating, 3-D pattern |
| Hardness | a mineral's resistance to being scratched |
| MOHS Hardness Scale | a scale that indicates the hardness of a mineral from 1-10 (10 is the hardest) |
| Fracture | the tendency of a mineral to break into irregular pieces |
| Cleavage | the tendency of a mineral to break along flat surfaces |
| Streak | color of the mineral powder left behind on a streak plate |
| Luster | way in which light reflects from its surface *metallic or non metallic |
| Density | amount of mass per unit of volume *d=m/v |