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Rocks and Minerals
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| cleavage | the property of splitting evenly along flat surfaces |
| streak | the line of powder obtained by scratching a mineral or rubbing it upon a hard, rough white surface |
| luster | the state or quality of shining by reflecting light; glitter, sparkle, sheen, or gloss |
| fracture | how a mineral brakes apart when it does not split evenly |
| Mohs hardness scale | a ranking of minerals from softest to hardest |
| crystal | the repeating pattern of a minerals partials in a solid |
| element | a substance composed of a single kind of atom |
| hardness | relative ability of a solid to resist scratching |
| crystallization | the process by which atoms are arranged to form a material with a crystal structure |
| solution | a mixture in which one substance dissolves in another |
| vein | a narrow or slab of a mineral that is much different from the surrounding rock |
| geode | a rounded, hollow rock that is often lined with mineral crystals |
| compound | a substance formed when two or more elements combine and lose their distinct properties |
| inorganic | something that doesn't come from a living thing |
| florence | how a minerals glows under a ultraviolet (black) light |
| texture | the look and feel of the rocks surface |
| fine grained | grains that are very tiny |
| coarse grained | grains that are large and easy to see |
| porphgry | a rock with a large crystals surrounded by small crystals |
| intrusive | igneous rock formed when magma hardened beneath earth surface |
| extrusive | igneous rock formed from lava that erupted onto earths surface |
| sedimentary rock | one of the three main rock groups that is formed by a series of processes |
| compaction | the process that presses sediment together |
| erosion | occurs when running water, wind, or ice loosen and carry away fragments of rock |
| cementation | the process in which dissolved minerals crystallize and glue partials together |
| deposition | the process by which sediment settles out of wind or water |
| clastic rocks | sedimentary rock that forms when rock fragments are squeezed together |
| chemical rocks | sedimentary rock that forms when minerals dissolve in a solution crystallize |
| organic rocks | forms where remains of plants and animals are deposited into thick layers |
| compaction | the process in which thick layers of sediment press down on the layers beneath them |
| foliated rocks | metamorphic rocks with grains arranged in parallel layers or bands |
| nonfoliated rocks | metamorphic rocks with grains arranged randomly |