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Berglur and Boulder
Terms n shit
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Mineral | A naturally occurring, inorganic solid with a definite (but sometimes variable) chemical composition and an ordered internal (crystalline) atomic structure :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index |
| Monochromatic Light | Light consisting of a single wavelength (or a very narrow band of wavelengths) |
| Polychromatic Light | Light composed of many wavelengths (broad spectrum) |
| Perception of Color | The sensation produced when certain wavelengths of light are detected by the eye and processed by the brain |
| Reflection, Transmission and Absorption of Light | The three principal ways light interacts with matter: reflection (light bounces off), transmission (light passes through), absorption (light is taken up by the material) |
| Streak | The color of a mineral in powdered form (usually obtained by rubbing it on a porcelain “streak plate”) |
| How does streak affect color of a mineral? | The streak is often more diagnostic than the surface color because the powdered mineral is less affected by surface weathering, coatings, or impurities |
| Structural influence over color | Color effects caused by the arrangement or imperfections in the crystal lattice (e.g. defects, crystal field effects) |
| Compositional influence over color | Color effects due to chemical substitutions or trace/impurity elements (chromophores) |
| Chromophores | Ions or elements (often transition metals) that cause color by absorbing specific wavelengths of light |
| Luster | The way a mineral’s surface reflects light (e.g. metallic, vitreous, pearly, dull) |
| Luminescence | Emission of light by a substance not caused by heat (i.e. light produced when excited by some external energy) |
| Fluorescence | Luminescence that occurs while the stimulating radiation (e.g. UV light) is present |
| Phosphorescence | Luminescence that continues even after the stimulating radiation is removed |
| Hardness | A measure of a mineral’s resistance to scratching |
| Mohs’s Hardness Scale | A relative scale from 1 (softest) to 10 (hardest) used to compare mineral hardness |
| Tenacity | How a mineral resists breaking, bending, or deforming (e.g. brittle, malleable, sectile, elastic) |
| Cleavage | The tendency of a mineral to break along zones of weak bonds in its crystal structure (producing smooth planar surfaces) :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index |
| Fracture | The pattern in which a mineral breaks when it does not have cleavage or when breakage is not along cleavage planes |
| Parting | A breakage similar to cleavage but caused by structural defects (e.g. twin planes, exsolution) rather than inherent symmetry planes |
| Specific Gravity | The ratio of a mineral’s weight to the weight of an equal volume of water (dimensionless) |
| Density | Mass per unit volume (e.g. g/cm³) — in mineralogy density and specific gravity are often used interchangeably |
| Crystal Habit | The typical external shape or form a mineral’s crystals take (e.g. prismatic, tabular, acicular) |
| Euhedral | A crystal that is well-formed with fully developed faces |
| Subhedral | A crystal that is partly formed, with some faces and some irregular surfaces |
| Anhedral | A crystal lacking well-formed crystal faces (no recognizable external crystal form) |
| Twinning | Intergrowth of two or more crystal domains of the same mineral in a symmetrical way |
| Magnetism | The property of a mineral to be attracted to (or to become magnetized by) a magnetic field (e.g. magnetite) |
| Reactivity with HCl/acids | Whether a mineral reacts (effervesces, dissolves) when exposed to hydrochloric acid (commonly used to test for carbonates) |
| Atoms | The smallest unit of an element that retains the chemical properties of that element |
| Elements | Substances made of one kind of atom, distinguished by atomic number |
| Bohr Model | A model of the atom in which electrons orbit the nucleus in discrete energy levels |
| Orbitals and Shells | Regions (orbitals) around an atom’s nucleus where electrons are likely to be found, organized into shells or energy levels |
| Atomic Number | The number of protons in an atom’s nucleus (which defines the element) |
| Atomic Mass | The total mass of protons + neutrons in an atom (often in atomic mass units, u) |
| Isotopes | Atoms of the same element (same atomic number) that have different numbers of neutrons |
| Atomic Weight Calculation | The weighted average mass of the isotopes of an element based on their natural abundances |
| Ions | Atoms or molecules that have gained or lost electrons, thus acquiring a net charge |
| Valence | The combining capacity of an atom (how many electrons it can lose, gain, or share) |
| Ionization Potential | The energy required to remove an electron from a gaseous atom or ion |
| Electron Affinity | The energy change when an electron is added to a neutral atom to form a negative ion |
| Ionic Bonds | Chemical bonds formed by electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions |
| Electronegativity | A measure of an atom’s ability to attract electrons in a chemical bond |
| Covalent Bonds | Chemical bonds formed by sharing pairs of electrons between atoms |
| Metallic Bonds | Bonds in which electrons are delocalized and shared among a lattice of metal atoms |
| Atomic Radii | The effective size (radius) of an atom (often in picometers or angstroms) |
| Ionic Radii | The size (radius) of an ion (depending on its charge and coordination) |
| Coordination Number | The number of atoms or ions immediately surrounding a central atom/ion in a structure |
| Coordination Number and Polyhedral Equivalent | describes how many atoms or ions are immediatly surrounding a central atom, polyhedral is the shape the neighbors form around it |
| Radius Ratio | The ratio of the radius of a cation to the radius of an anion, used to predict coordination number and structure |
| Dana’s Classification of Minerals | A system of mineral classification based on chemistry (especially the anion or anionic group) and structure |
| Anionic Complex/Complex Ions | Polyatomic ions (e.g. (SO₄)²⁻, (CO₃)²⁻) that act as a unit in mineral formulas |
| Major Elements | Elements that make up the bulk composition of a mineral (e.g. Si, O in silicates) |
| Minor Elements | Elements present between 0.1% and 1%. |
| Trace Elements | Elements present in very small amounts (<0.1%). |
| Substitution | Replacement of one ion by another of similar size/charge in a mineral’s structure |
| Solid Solution Behavior | Continuous chemical variation in minerals by substitution without changing crystal structure. |
| Polymorphism | The ability of a given chemical composition to crystallize in more than one distinct crystal structure (polymorphs) :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index |
| Reconstructive Polymorphism | A polymorphic transformation that requires breaking and reforming bonds (i.e. major structural reorganization) |
| Displacive Polymorphism | A polymorphic transformation involving small shifts of atoms without breaking bonds |
| Polytypism | Polymorphism where only the stacking sequence of layers changes. |
| Exsolution | Process where a solid solution separates into two distinct minerals upon cooling. |
| Pseudomorphism | A mineral that has replaced another mineral but retains the original mineral’s external shape |
| Crystal Growth | The process by which atoms or ions add to a crystal’s structure, increasing its size |
| Saturation and Undersaturation | Saturation: a solution contains the maximum amount of dissolved species; undersaturation: capable of dissolving more |
| Diffusion | The movement of atoms or ions as a result of concentration gradients, important in crystal growth and alteration |
| Nucleation | The initial formation of tiny stable clusters of atoms or molecules that act as “seeds” for further growth |
| Precipitation and Growth | Precipitation: the process by which atoms/ions leave solution to form a solid; growth: enlargement of that solid crystal |
| Undercooling | Cooling a liquid below its equilibrium freezing (or crystallization) temperature without immediate crystallization |
| Relationship between undercooling, diffusion, nucleation and growth | Greater undercooling increases driving force for nucleation (many small crystals), whereas slower diffusion favors fewer large crystals; diffusion limits growth rates |
| Crystal Defects | Imperfections or deviations from a perfect periodic atomic arrangement in a crystal |
| General Growth Defects | Defects introduced during crystal growth (e.g. irregularities, inclusions, stacking faults) |
| Point Defects and Types | Zero‑dimensional defects such as vacancies (missing atoms), interstitials (extra atoms), or substitutions (impurity atoms) |
| Line Defects and Types | Dislocations where rows of atoms are misaligned. (one dimensional) |
| Twins as Defects | Twin boundaries or twin planes are planar defects where two crystal domains share some symmetry relationship |
| Defects and Deformation and Material Strength | Defects (especially dislocations) control how minerals deform (they allow plastic deformation) and thus influence mechanical strength |
| Dana’s mineralogy classification | A scheme classifying minerals by their dominant anion (e.g. silicates, oxides, sulfides, carbonates) and structural features |
| Solid solution behavior | The continuous substitution of one ion for another, controlling compositional variation in minerals |
| Polymorphism | Multiple crystal structures for the same chemical composition under different P/T conditions |
| Polytypism | Polymorphism specific to differences in stacking sequences of layers |
| Exsolution | Unmixing of a solid solution into two separate phases as temperature changes |
| Crystal Growth processes | The combined sequence of nucleation |
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