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Rocks & Minerals #1
Mineral Identification
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Color | The color of a mineral. |
Cleavage | When a mineral breaks along smooth flat surfaces |
Crystal | a solid in which the atoms are arranged in orderly, repeating patterns |
Mineral | Naturally occurring, inorganic solid with a definite chemical composition and an orderly arrangement of atoms |
Hardness | a measure of how easily a mineral can be scratched |
Mohs Scale | A list of common minerals organized by hardness |
Luster | The way a mineral reflects light |
Metallic | A type of luster where minerals shine like metal |
Nonmetallic | A type of luster that includes, dull, pearly, silky, and glassy |
Streak | The color of a mineral when it is in a powdered form |
Fracture | When minerals break with uneven, rough, or jagged surfaces |
Density | The mass per unit volume of an object. Sometimes called Specific Gravity. |
Double Refraction | The splitting of an image into 2 separate images when seen through a mineral. Calcite does this. |
Magnetism | The ability of a substance to either repel or attract another with a magnetic field. |