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Properties minerals
Properties of Minerals Ch 2.1
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| mineral | a naturally occurring solid that forms by inorganic processes and that has a definite chemical composition |
| inorganic | not made up of living or once living matter |
| crystal | a solid in which the atoms are arranged in a pattern that is repeated |
| streak | the color of a mineral's powder |
| luster | a description of how light is reflected from a mineral's surface |
| Mohs hardness scale | a scale used to rank the hardness of minerals |
| cleavage | a mineral's ability to split along flat surfaces |
| fracture | the way a mineral looks when it breaks apart in an irregular way |
| geode | a round, hollow rock often lined with mineral crystals |
| crystallization | process by which atoms are arranged to form a material that has a crystal structure |
| solution | a mixture in which one substance is dissolved in another |
| vein | a narrow channel or slab of mineral that is different from the surrounding rock |