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rocks & Minerals
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| acid rain | Precipitation of relatively high acidity that is formed when airborne oxdies of sulfer and nitrogen combine with moisture in the atmosphere. |
| conglomerate | A rock made out of mineral and rock fragments |
| crystal | A soild sudstance in which the particles are arranged in a orderly, repeatable pattern |
| crystallization | The process of which crystals are formed. |
| cubic | A crystal form characterized by three equal axes at right angles to each other. |
| evaporation | The conversion of a sudstance from a liquid to a gaseous state. |
| fossil | The remians, imprressions, or other evidence of living things preserved in a rock. |
| hardness | The resistance of a mineral to scratching by another sudstance. |
| hexagonal | A crystal form characization by three equal lateral axes intersected at 60 degrees and a vertical axis of variable lenght at right angles. |
| igneous | A type of rock formed by the cooling and crystallization of molten materials. |
| indigenous | occuring naturally in a particular place or region. |
| laser | Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. |
| lava | Molten rock that flows from volcanoes or earth fissures |
| luster | The way a mineral reflects light |
| magma | The hot, liquid rock within the Earth's crust. |
| sedimentary | A type of rock formed by solidification of layers of sediment. |
| silicon | One of the most abundant elements on earth; its electrical properties enable it to be used in electronic devices. |
| streak | The color of the fine powder of a mineral obtained by scratching or rubbing the mineral against piece of unglazed ceramic tile. |
| tetragonal | A crystal form characterized by three axes at right angles, of which only the two lateral angles are equal. |
| triclinic | A crystal form characterized by three unequal axes intersecting at oblique angles. |
| weathering | The discoloration or breakdown of rocks and minerals due to the action of water, the atmosphere, and organisms. |
| metallic luster | Describes a mineral that is usually dark in color, is always opaque, even on its thin edges,and shines like polished metal. |
| metamorphic | A type of rock formed when igneous, sedimentary, or even other metamorphic rocks are subjected to extreme heat and/or pressure deep below the earth's surface. |
| mineral | A naturally occurring, solid, inorganic substance with a definite chemical composition and usually crystalline in form. |
| Mohs Scale of Hardness | A scale that ranks the hardness of minerals relative to the hardness to other minerals. |
| monoclinic | A crystal form characterized by three unequal axes with one oblique intersection. |
| nonmetallic luster | Describes a mineral that is usually light colored and whose surface appears glassy, greasy, brilliant, pearly, silky, or dull |
| orthorhombic | A crystal form characterized by three unequal axes at right angles to each other. |
| petrifaction | The process of petrifying, or becoming a fossil (also known as petrification). |
| piezoelectric | A type of electricity generated by applying pressure to a crystalline substance such as quartz. |
| property | Any quality that serves to describe or define an object, material, or relationship. |
| rock | A naturally occurring inorganic solid usually comprised of a mixture of different minerals and other materials. |