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Prop. of Minerals
Inside Earth: Chapter Four, Section One
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. |
crystal | a solid in which the atoms are arranged in a pattern that repeats again and again. |
element | a substance composed of a single kind of atom. |
compound | a substance in which two or more elements are chemically joined. |
Mohs scale | a scale ranking ten minerals from softest to hardest; used in testing the hardness of minerals. |
streak | the color of a mineral's powder. |
luster | the way a mineral reflects light from its surface. |
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. |
fluorescence | the property of a mineral in which the mineral glows under ultraviolet light. |